Private legal practitioner and member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Elikpilim Agbemava has described president Akufo-Addo’s approach to corruption fight as ordinary.

The failed NDC flagbearer hopeful says Mr. Akufo-Addo deserves no praise for sayinghe has tackled corruption better than his predecessor, Mr. John Mahama.

While defending his inability to deal with corrupt appointees under his watch, Nana Akufo-Addo said “every single alleged act of corruption” levelled against any of his appointees was being or “has been investigated by independent bodies, such as CHRAJ, the CID, and, in some cases, by Parliament itself.”

Speaking at the 2019 Ghana Bar Association Conference in Takoradi, Western Region, President Akufo-Addo denied clearing his appointees of corrupt acts, saying it is not his job to clear or convict any person accused of wrongdoing, or of engaging in acts of corruption.

“My job is to act on allegations of corruption by referring the issue or issues to the proper investigative agencies for the relevant enquiry and necessary action. That is exactly what has been done since I assumed the mantle of leadership on 7th January, 2017. If an appointee is cleared of any wrongdoing, the evidence adduced and recommendations made by these agencies, after the investigations are concluded, are what clear the accused persons, not myself. None of these agencies has ever indicated any pressure from the Executive over their investigations,” he explained.

But Mr. Agbemava believes President Akufo-Addo has woefully failed to crack the whip on his appointees who dabble in corruption, saying the action should not be about grammar and mere rhetorics.

“If you are accused of not dealing with corruption and all you do is defend yourself and say you are not corrupt, it shows that you do not understand the problem neither do you know what is expected of you. Apparently he does not understand the oath of the Presidential office,” Agbemava jabbed in a Facebook post sighted by XYZ News.

He educated the president to make the Auditor General’s report, that keeps exposing corrupt appointees every year, his “bible and work book” and never depart from it if he is serious about graft fighting and want to bring sanity into the public sector.

Akufo-Addo’s governance has been hit with major corruption scandals in the last 20 months, raising questions about the competency of a president who called his predecessor “incompetent” while in opposition.

Read Lawyer Agbemava’s post below.

THE PRESIDENT’S ATTITUDE TOWARDS CORRUPTION IS ORDINARY

The President’s posture and attitude when he’s accused of clearing his men offers a picture of his mindset. If you are accused of not dealing with corruption and all you do is defend yourself and say you are not corrupt, it shows that you do not understand the problem neither do you know what is expected of you. Apparently he does not understand the oath of the Presidential office.

If I were him the Auditor General’s report for example, will be my bible and work book, never departing from my hand.

The problem of corruption is not a personal problem neither is it restricted to only politicians or the president’s appointees. So I do not see the need to be emotional about the subject unless you feel that you are being pushed into something you don’t want. It is a public interest issue and if you are the president and the people say your best is not enough then you have to hit the ground running instead of seeing yourself as a hypothetical dog at risk of being given a bad name and getting hanged. A positive attitude and a shift into real action is the best answer to the people’s quest for a Ghana beyond corruption. (GBC). #LetsWatchIt.