Former President Jerry John Rawlings was among those who charged Nana Akufo-Addo to investigate and prosecute corrupt government officials when he assumed office as president of the Fourth Republic of Ghana.

Mr. Rawlings who believed that corruption had infiltrated leaders and institutions in a letter to Nana Akufo-Addo admonished him to “pursue an anti-corruption drive across-the-board”.

Jerry John Rawlings in October 2019 claimed that, Former President John Mahama lacked the commitment to fight corruption when he was in office.

Read the full story originally published on December 13, 2016, on Ghanaweb

Former President Rawlings, a known anti-corruption crusader, has charged the president-elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to pursue an anti-corruption drive across-the-board during his tenure.

In a congratulatory message to Nana Addo, Mr. Rawlings wrote; “Your victory is a manifestation of the people’s desire for new leadership, and comes with enormous responsibilities, including a commitment to pursue an anti-corruption drive across-the-board.”

Mr. Rawlings did not mention the specific names of persons who must be pursued for their corruption conduct, but he is on record to have stated that some members of the outgoing government were corrupt.

“All I can do is speak up. I find myself in a situation where I have moral responsibility and no executive authority. I would have wished that my moral authority could have the same influence. But that is not the case, corruption has infiltrated our institutions and their leaders so badly today, that they use some kind of lens to demonstrate that you can keep your moral authority, but this is executive power at work,” Rawlings said in an interview he granted the Guardian Newspaper in Nigeria.

According to the NDC founder; “Ghana faces huge challenges, many of which you promised to tackle during your campaign tours. You have been elected as President because the electorate believes you have the ability to confront these challenges and lead the country with fearlessness, humility and honesty. I commend you for committing to be a leader for all Ghanaians in your acceptance address. The onus is on you to pursue a leadership that unifies the people, so members of the losing side have no reason to feel insecure. I wish you the best of luck, as you prepare to assume the mantle of leadership.”

Meanwhile, Nana Addo, upon the receipt of Mr. Rawlings message, wrote back to him: “This is to acknowledge, with thanks, your letter of December 10, 2016, with its heartwarming contents. Our people, as clearly expressed in your letter, are confronted with huge challenges – unprecedented levels of joblessness, high costs of living, widespread and rampant cases of corruption, and deterioration in governance and in the quality of our health and education services – which they want addressed.

My goal is to provide effective leadership, which is honest, competent and determined to deliver, and address these challenges, so that we can put our nation onto the path of progress and prosperity, and, thereby, improve rapidly the standards of living of Ghanaians.

For this to happen, I would need the unalloyed support of every Ghanaian, irrespective of their ethnic group or religious or political affiliation. There can be no room in such an undertaking for witch-hunting or acts of political vendetta or harassment. No member of the NDC has anything to fear from my future government.

I am fully committed to pursuing “an anti-corruption drive across-the-board”, as you put it, which will be fully anchored in the rule of law and strict respect for due process. That is the best form of security for every citizen of the country.

Once again, many thanks for your letter of congratulations.

Warm regards and best wishes.

Yours sincerely,

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

President-Elect