Kumasi — The former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei, has stated unequivocally that he is the major target in the NDC government's 'Search and Prosecute' operations. According to him, he is fully aware of the desperate attempts by the Atta Mills government to look for incriminating evidence in order to nail him.

"I know I am the 'number one' target of the government, they are looking at every nook and cranny, and making very frantic efforts just to get evidence to hang me, especially on the Vodafone deal, but I am the least perturbed," a confident Dr. Akoto told a gathering of party foot soldiers on Monday.

According to the ex-Minister, the government's anxious moves would amount to nothing, because there is no single misappropriation in the Ghana Telecom/UK Vodafone deal. "Look, they can dig everywhere, set committee upon committees, but I can assure them that they won't find any single evidence against me," he noted.

Addressing party functionaries at the official inauguration of polling station executives at Tafo, a suburb of Kumasi, Dr. Akoto expressed disgust at the government's obsession towards retribution, rather than finding solutions to the economic mess they themselves have created.

Dr. Akoto observed that instead of searching for remedies to the economic woes they have plunged the nation into, they are embarking on a wild goose chase, pursuing unworthy and unnecessary agenda.

The former Minister, however, asserted that the cynical moves by the government, which were meant to humiliate former officials under ex-President Kufuor's regime, appear to have backfired, and that they have been caught in their trap, as evidenced in the recent Mabey and Johnson saga, which has indicted a number of NDC officials.

He stated that the startling revelations made in the Mabey and Johnson account was a tip of the iceberg, stating that there are more of such shockers in the offing. Dr. Akoto stated that the NDC government is continuously taking the people of this country for a ride by constantly lying through their teeth, in the face of clear evidence of inefficiency.

According to him, the recent difficulty the country is going through in securing crude oil and the flimsy excuses being given by the government amply sums up this government's dishonesty and lack of respect for the citizens of this country. The former Finance Minister contended that instead of the government telling the people the truth behind its inability to mobilize letters of credit for the importation of crude oil, it is rather pointing accusing fingers at the NPP administration.

According to Dr. Akoto, the hands of the government are tied against the backdrop of the $300 million loan which the government has contracted from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which bans it from guaranteeing commercial loans. "When they were contracting this loan, we told them that the deal was a bad one, but Dr. Duffuor did not listen to me, now look, the government could not sign a guarantee for common $80 million, and had to rely on private entities, this is shameful," he asserted.

The former Minister also stated that the government is presently reeling under a lot of pressure from the international body in terms of fuel deregulation and the passage of the Freedom of the Information bill, which he said, are all prerequisite of the loan. Dr. Akoto further promised more fireworks for the government as it promises to present its budget to parliament next month.

Admonishing the party foot soldiers, the MP urged them to stay united and work together as a team in order to solidify the grass root base of the party. He said the politics of mudslinging, insult and factionalism would not in anyway help the party and urged the party executives to shun anyone who campaigns on those lines.

"The fight for 2012 is going to be a different ball game altogether, we are not in power at the moment and that means we need to prepare solidly against the NDC's intimidations and barbarism in the next elections, the struggle for 2012 starts from now, " he charged party supporters.