Leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Kobina Arthur Kennedy has stated that former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu was justified when he described President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the “the mother serpent of corruption.”
According to US-based medical practitioner, the president from all indications has no commitment towards the fight against corruption.
“The problem is not forming new institutions; it is in our hearts. The President’s body language, his temperament and attitude is not geared towards fighting corruption and Martin Amidu was right that he is the mother serpent of corruption…” he told Joynews in an interview.
Asked if his assessment of the president was fair, Dr Kennedy, who is also a one-time flagbearer contender of the NPP argued that the very acts of corruption happening under the nose of the president is a direct confirmation.
"It is a very fair assessment, look at who he appointed as head if Public Procurement Authority, the person he appointed as head of Public Procurement Authority to begin with had ethical challenges under the Kufuor administration, so, it is not like people didn’t know who he was.
"But he got the job anyway. Then the president along the line of course is talking about it, he says that this time around we even have a Minister for Public Procurement.
“Not only that, we have a board of directors for the Public Procurement Authority. In spite of that, the head of Public Procurement Authority forms a private company on the side, that bids for contracts and gets them and sells them on the side, and he did that for years under the very noses of his board of directors and the minister who was supposed to take care of procurement.
"And all what it took was Manasseh Azure, one journalist, to expose them. So where was the security agencies? Where was the police? Where was the Attorney General's Department? Where was anybody?” he questioned.