General News of Friday, 21 December 2018

Source: asempanews.com

Prepare yourselves for more scandals under Akufo-Addo – Ablakwa

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has asked Ghanaians to embrace themselves for more corruption related matters after President Akufo-Addo described as “mere allegation” the controversial Oslo Chancery deal, which the minority has accused the foreign ministry of inflating the cost.

President Akufo-Addo in a media encounter with some selected journalists across the country at the Jubilee House said “On the basis of this bare allegation without more, would I then say let us have an independent inquiry? My government won’t spend all our time at inquiries because clearly it is a pattern of the opposition to throw these accusations into the air and when they are debunked, they don’t hear anything about it”.

He added: “Assuming for the sake of argument with the transaction not taken place and we were to make the allocation that we paid too much. But this is the transaction, it has not taken place so how then can you begin to make statements about corruption and misappropriation?

Speaking on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa Fm, the Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs said the President’s unwillingness to fight corruption which he has demonstrated in recent times by often clearing his appointees even before constitutionally mandated institutions do so, gives grounds for more scandals.

Mr. Ablakwa believes the President should have taken interest in finding out the details of the allegation rather than sweeping it under the carpet.

“Is this how we are fighting corruption? Is this leadership? Now when you listen to the President when he had his say after the minister’s statement, he said all the allegations is just mere allegations and nothing more. When we have documents to prove or back what we are saying, you call it mere allegation” he said.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has reiterated that the ministry has not expended a dime on the alleged property.