The Head of the Evaluation and Oversight Unit at the Presidency, and a recently elected member of the 11-member African Union (AU) Advisory Board on Corruption, Dr Tony Aidoo says he is going to work tirelessly on his new appointment to put his detractors to shame.

Ever since his appointment, Dr Tony Aidoo, has been congratulated and praised by many, however, some in the opposition New Patriotic Party think he just is not cut for the job.

One of such persons is renowned anti-corruption crusader and Member of Parliament for Asikuma Odoben Brakwa, P.C. Appiah Ofori.

The NPP MP explained that for one to fight corruption effectively, the person must have knowledge about what draws people into it and must be seen to be engaged in activities that reduce or eradicate corruption.

The NPP’s Communication Director and MP for Okaikwei South, Nana Akomea is also of the view that Dr. Tony Aidoo is not the best man for the job. According to him, aside the fact that Dr. Aidoo lacks the credentials in anti-corruption work, his role at the presidency is crucial and should not be sacrificed for the AU job.

However, Dr Aidoo is unfazed.

Speaking on the Big Bite Show on Xfm 95.1, a privately owned commercial radio station in Accra, Dr. Aidoo maintained that his credentials and achievements will speak for him as to whether he is qualified for the position or not. Even though he will not state categorically what he has been doing to have qualified, Dr Aidoo reveals that within a 16 month period, he has single handedly “managed what the NPP could not do in eight years, in establishing a reliable system of evidence based performance monitoring management system; where you have a national data bank with retrievable and analyzable information on how each sector, department and agency of this government is performing”. He further states, “we are tracking budgetary expenditure, we are tracking to review lapses, etc. These are the means of fighting corruption. You need accountability, transparency to fight corruption, not just loud mouth advocates.”

Descending heavily on his critics, especially P.C. Appiah Ofori, Dr Aidoo challenged him to his new office, saying “he has no idea about its mandate and functions and powers, and yet can derive judgmental conclusion?”

“Before P.C. Appiah Ofori and Nana Akomea open their mouth, they must first get to know what that organization does, and how it is supposed to do what it is supposed to do”, asking further, “why should I tout what I have done?”

Asked what he was taking on board his new office, this is what Dr Tony Aidoo had to say, “I will live a life above lavish and I will conscientiously devote myself to the task that will be assigned to the advisory council.”

“I want to challenge all my detractors to point to one instance, one evidence in which they can claim Tony Aidoo has been a beneficiary of a requisite wealth, has dipped his hands into public coffers, has acquired property for which he can’t account for, has embezzled funds or any such nefarious activity as key tributary of the state of Ghana”.

Dr Tony Aidoo scored 73 per cent at the first voting, after a marathon meeting of the AU Executive Council on the sidelines of the just ended AU summit at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

His application was accepted and given the nod based on his pedigree, lobbying by Ghana’s mission in Ethiopia and the improvement in economic and democratic credentials of the Government back home.

Story by Abena Asiedua Tenkorang/Xfm 95.1/Accra/Ghana