General News of Saturday, 2 July 2005

Source: Ghanaian Chronicle

Gov't Not Bothered By Official Corruption

Kumasi -- The NPP constituency chairman for Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma Mr. C.O ATTAH, alias Attah Kwesi Jnr, has, by inference, admitted that the Kufuor-led NPP administration, which touted "zero tolerance for corruption" as a policy on assumption of office, is not bothered by corrupt practices by officialdom.

It is actually a delight for the President to associate with corrupt people, so exposing such would not move him (President) to act, Atta said, citing specifically that, the President overlooked allegations of corruption against the DCE, Mr. Bright Addai Munumkum, because he ( the President) liked working with corrupt people.

The President, last Wednesday, re-nominated Addai Munumkum as the DCE in spite of agitations and petitions by some of the constituents, including the chief of Kuntanase.

The local chairman therefore claimed, in a letter to the Omanhene of the Kuntanase Traditional Area, Ogyeabour Barima Adu Gyamfi Poku that, "The President would like to work with corrupt people."

According to the chairman, who leads a group called Attah Kwesi Jnr.'s Group, the re-nomination of the DCE was the one most important thing they (the group and supporters of the DCE) were waiting for.

The party chairman, who said the Kuntanasehene was behind agitations for the removal of the DCE, blamed the chief for failing to sabotage the re-nomination of the DCE.

Attah Kwesi who signed for and on behalf of the group said they could "make and unmake" and that any body they supported, won elections, which claim was substantiated in the fact that they used political tactics to remove the former MP for the constituency and brought in Hon. Simon Osei Mensah.

"The confirmation of the DCE by the Assemblymen is as easy as anything. We know the trick to use, " he hinted.

The letter, issued on June 24, this year, two clear days after the President had re-nominated the DCE, dared the Omanhene, the Assemblyman for the Feyiase electoral area, Mr. Peter Yeboah and Mr. Thomas Atuahene, Budget officer of the Assembly, believed to be the Omanhene's informant, not to attend the Assembly's meeting to approve the DCE's nomination.

The group declared that it would ensure that the Omanhene is removed as a government appointee of the Assembly because he has not contributed in any positive way towards the development of the area as Omanhene.

It further warned the chief to take a cue from what the group did to Peter Yeboah at Foase on June 22, 2005 during the commissioning of an EU project.

On June 7, this year, the Omanhene petitioned the President for the removal of Addai Munumkum as the DCE because he could not work together with him (DCE) Meanwhile, Assemblyman Yeboah has drawn the attention of the Minority Leader in Parliament to "serious corrupt practices at the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma District Assembly."