General News of Monday, 23 May 2016

Source: starrfmonline.com

Respond to allegations of corruption – Adu Asare to Nana Addo

Presidential staffer Kojo Adu Asare Presidential staffer Kojo Adu Asare

Presidential staffer Kojo Adu Asare is daring the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo to respond to allegations of corruption made by pro-NPP group ‘SAVE NPP NOW’.

Mr Asare said he finds it strange that Nana Addo and the NPP have avoided all the serious allegations by a member of their own party. The group which held a news conference last Monday, claimed among other things that Nana Akufo-Addo is behind the siphoning of party funds.

According to outspoken Baah Acheamfuor, Director of Communications of the group, the money was one of the key reasons why chairman Paul Afoko was suspended for trying to stop its diversion into a secret and unauthorized account for the purposes of sharing.

The group which is calling on Nana Addo to step down is bitter about his leadership qualities.

“What is even more shocking is that they stated that the siphoning of party funds into the illegal and unauthorized account was done with the explicit and express permission of the flag bearer Nana Akufo-Addo.

“One wonders why Nana who is supposed to lead the party by example and campaign on the need to weed out corruption from our governance as a country will fully and without any hesitation endorse the diversion of party funds amounting to 5.2 million Cedis into a secret Ecobank account,” he said.

“What is even worse is that as we speak today a huge chunk of those monies which were intended to be used for party activities in the constituencies and polling stations across the country have been unlawfully expended on the flag bearer’s numerous trips to the UK and elsewhere. Of course we have documentary evidence to prove this fact.

“Today in NPP, it is more expensive to maintain the travelling expenses of the flagbearer than maintaining the party machinery at the grassroots. If Ghanaians want to know the fate of the country’s finances under an Akufo-Addo presidency, they should look at the way he is superintending over the swindling of NPP’s party funds” added Mr Acheamfuor.

According to the former Adenta MP, these allegations are too serious to be swept under the carpet. He maintained that Nana Addo who is claiming to have clean hands and has promised not to steal Ghana’s money if he should be elected President must prove issues raised against him are wrong.

“Nana Akomea cannot issue instructions to NPP Communicators to remain silent to save Nana Addo from being further exposed by his own people. Just as they cannot pinpoint any issue against Mahama yet are demanding extra commitment to fight the menace, Nana Addo must defend criminality exposed by people in his own house,” Asare told the Citizens Mail.
“Nana Addo cannot claim he wants to better the lot of Ghanaians when he can’t even ensure that the party’s finances are managed properly. Is he really serious about ever becoming the President of this country and can manage the resources of the country judiciously? I don’t think so. It’s quite obvious he just wants to become President.”

He maintained the NPP has something to hide because they have been silent on revelations and statements by Mr Paul Afoko, Dr Arthur Kennedy, Sammy Crabbe and other critics of Nana Addo’s style of leadership.

According to him, Nana Addo has resorted to gagging orders to prevent his own people from commenting on allegations from Afoko, Acheamfour and others.