General News of Friday, 26 May 2017

Source: adomfmonline.com

I pray Akufo-Addo is able to root out corruption – Victor Smith

Victor Smith Victor Smith

Former Ghana High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Ireland is hoping President Akufo-Addo is able to fight corruption in the country.

Ambassador Emmanuel Victor Smith said the canker if not rooted out will render all the good policies of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government useless.

His comment comes after President Akufo-Addo reiterated his resolve to fearlessly fight corruption as his government hastened moves to set up the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

The President in a meeting with Ghanaian Community in Sierra Leone as part of his one-day working visit stated unequivocally that not even his wife, Rebecca can talk him out of prosecuting any corrupt official, especially in his government.

President Akufo-Addo indicated that, once you are found guilty, the person will be prosecuted.

But Victor Smith on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Friday said the President has a herculean task to accomplish given the way corruption has permeated every fabric of our social life.

He said people are getting away with massive corruption because they are not compelled to conform to the laws of the land.

Citing himself as an example, Victor Smith said he has made a lot of enemies with people including chiefs because he failed to bend the rules in their favour.

The former Ambassador stated that it should not be business as usual so the Akufo-Addo led government must ensure that all cases of corruption and misappropriate of public funds were independently and thoroughly investigated for the law to take its course.

Ambassador Victor Smith added that “If we plug the loopholes in the system, we will need to make less borrowing to push the agenda of development”.