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ACCRA (Reuters) - Ghana's President John Atta Mills is refusing to accept traditional Christmas gifts such as hampers this year because they may be efforts to corrupt him, a spokesman said on Thursday.
It is common practice in Ghana for individuals and businesses to send hampers packed with gifts to friends and people in authority during the festive season.
While some gifts signify traditional sharing, others are given out in appreciation of past or future favours -- something Mills's government has vowed to stamp out since he became leader of a nation set to become Africa's next oil producer in 2010. "He has made it clear that it was not his disposition to accept Christmas hampers and other gifts," said presidential spokesman Mahama Ayariga, adding that disappointed gift-bearers had handed some presents out to presidential staff instead.
"(Mills's) disposition is that you never know what is in the mind of the giver of the gift, so it's always better not to accept them," Ayariga said.
Mills, who assumed office in January on a pledge to wage a "relentless war" against corruption, is generally regarded, even by his critics, as a modest leader and not corrupt, compared to his predecessors.
However, his present-snubbing was not praised by everyone.
Vitus Azeem, the head of Ghana Integrity Initiative, the local chapter of Transparency International, said the president's actions would do little in stemming corruption among fellow government officials.
"His campaign would have been more meaningful if he had given out specific directives to his ministers and other top officials to also turn away the hampers and the goats driven to their homes and offices," said Azeem.
Opposition to the president's initiative also came from James Agbagana, a traditional chief, who warned that he was going too far with his anti-corruption drive as he might destroy the Ghanaian tradition of hospitality in the process.
Ghana is seen as one of West Africa's most attractive investment destinations, largely due to political stability and the prospects of oil starting to flow in 2010 from its Jubilee oil field, which is estimated to hold some 1.8 billion barrels.
Given the negative impact of oil in other oil-producing nations in West and Central Africa, Ghanaians are watchful of the impact on corruption, once the coffers start swelling with petro-dollars.
REUTERS
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In East Africa Kenya is ranked the most corrupt country in that region. Many MPs, ministers and their associates in that country stand accused of accepting bribes and allowing companies to do as they pleased.
Since oil was first discovered in
Between 2005 and 2007 several state governors and their immediate families were arrested by Scotlandyard in
In
In countries such as Nigeria, Egypt, Cameroon, The Gambia, Sudan, Uganda, Libya, Zimbawe, Tunisia a Kleptocracy class of people have replaced anything democracy. In these countries very few people continue to remain in power and the people have no say in the way their country is governed or run.
What do you think will happen to standard of living if the money is invested in agriculture, build canals, irrigation facilities and storage facilities, buy tractors for farmers so they can produce to feed nations?
What makes the leaders to avoid investment in education? Why do African leaders find it difficult to have economic and social policies that will make them self sufficient and less dependent on foreign aid?
 Hon Dominic Nitiwul PRESIDENT JOHN Atta Mills’ austere and cost-cutting measures are said to be skewed in favour of government appointees, as the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) blows a whopping amount of ¢56 billion or GH¢5,606,176.11 on the comfort of ministers of state. As part of the expenditure, the Atta Mills-led social democratic, modest and ‘I care for you’ governing party spent ¢8.58 billion on the renovation and furnishing of seven ministerial bungalows, with an average cost of ¢1.2 billion or GH¢122,581.45 per bungalow. The startling figures, which were contained in a written answer by the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, to a question raised by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bimbilla, Dominic Nitiwul, a copy of which is in the possession of DAILY GUIDE, also revealed that government spent ¢41.1 billion or GH¢4,110,396.74 on 57 ministerial bungalows in Accra, tossing the bill to the Ghanaian tax payer. Additionally, ¢6.37 billion or GH¢637,709.21 was used for the renovation and furnishing of 18 bungalows for senior civil servants, further emptying national coffers at a time that government is claiming to be cutting down cost. The total expenditure on the renovation and furnishing of the bungalows, according to the document, was on civil and electrical works, furniture, appliances, curtains and carpets. As also explained by the ministry’s written answer, the civil works was said to consist of demolishing and alteration, re-roofing, carpentry, joinery, metal works, plumbing installations, electrical installations, finishes, glazing, painting, and decoration and external works. The use of such colossal amounts on renovation of ministerial bungalows has set tongues wagging, as some MPs and former ministers of state are questioning the rationale for what they described as the profligate dissipation of public funds on buildings that were recently occupied by ex-government appointees. They are questioning the level of deterioration of buildings to warrant the use of colossal amounts for their renovation and furnishing by the current government, especially when President Mills has been preaching modesty and cost cutting in almost all his public speeches. The expenditure, the MPs from the Minority side contended, was particularly questionable since these bungalows were occupied by former ministers of state who were reportedly living lavishly in these buildings. Hon. Dominic Nitiwul, who asked the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing how many government bungalows had been renovated or were under renovation, the total cost of all the bungalows and the cost of each unit or bungalow, was at a loss as to why the ruling NDC, which claims to be pro-poor, did not use the colossal amounts for the provision of essential facilities such as potable water for the people but rather chose to use the money for the comfort of ministers of state. Although the answer was written to Hon. Nitiwul, his question could not be answered on the floor of Parliament during question time yesterday as the rules of the House did not permit the Sector Minister, Albert Abongo, to do so. However, Mr Abongo’s deputy, Dr Hannah Bissiw, was in the House to answer other questions pertaining to the ministry. According to the Standing Orders 64 (4) of the House, “A member who desires an oral answer to a Question shall mark it with an asterisk. Answers to Questions not so marked shall be communicated in writing to the Member, asking the Question and shall be printed in the Official Report”. Hon. Nitiwul however stated on the floor of Parliament that he was comfortable with the written answer. Source: daily guide/Awudu Mahama |
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| Ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor (left), Mr. Kwame Pianim (right) |
While the former President, Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor, has condemned Mr. Pianim for making such a pronoucment, his party (NPP), has also issued a strong statement condemning the assertion.
Mr. Pianim however remains resolute, insisting that he still stands by his words.
The anti-corruption crusader, Mr. Colins Appiah Ofori, who is a member of the NPP, has also come out to support Mr. Pianim, that Mills is incorruptible.
Mr. Frank Agyekum, who is the spokeman for former President Kufuor, told The Chronicle in a telephone interview yesterday, that his boss was the first to come out publicly, that as a president “you are always tempted with inducements.”
It was based on this experience that he (JAK) decided to improve upon structures, including the setting up of the Office of Accountability, the declaration of Zero Tolerance for Corruption, and other institutions to combat corruption.
Mr. Frank Agyekum stated that what Mr. Pianim said, raises more questions than answers, adding that an attempt to create the impression that Mr. Kufuor did nothing about fighting corruption under his tenure, was unfortunate.
He challenged Mr. Pianim to come out and tell the whole nation those who gave the brown envelopes to President Mills, which he rejected.
“What we are asking is that was Mr. Pianim there when the bribes were offered before the President rejected them? What was his interest? Who told him? Or was he the one who gave the bribes to President Mills before he rejected them? We need to know all these. It is however not true that Mr. Kufuor did nothing in the fight against corruption.”
Mr. Agyekum, who declared that Mr. Kufuor was honest about events that surrounded his presidency, said his presidency did everything possible to make corruption very uncomfortable to all and sundry, and that for someone who was at the time a member of the party not to raise a word, but now say such curious things, was unfortunate.
“What prevented him from making such comments under President Rawlings and Mr. Kufuor? I find it curious for him to say those things. It has no basis at all,” he said.
To him, the yardstick being used by the opponents of Mr. Kufuor, when he stated that he had rejected bribes, should be used against this regime.
According to him, those who attempted to bribe President Mills, should be arrested and prosecuted.
“I have no reason to doubt what Pianim said about Mills, but what we want is that the same measure given to Kufuor when he said that he has rejected offers, should be used for this government.”
Meanwhile, the NPP has also called on President Mills to arrest the individuals who attempted to bribe him, and that he should do nothing to cover up for the people.
The party’s Communications Director, Mr. Kwaku Kwarteng, noted in a statement issued in Accra yesterday, that an attempt to bribe the President in his office, was not only unfortunate, but also a setback in the fight against corruption.
“The New Patriotic Party has been dismayed by the revelation yesterday that President John Evans Atta Mills, the highest public servant, is refusing to expose criminals who have attempted to offer him bribe.
This development is an unfortunate setback to the nation’s fight against corruption. If people have become so emboldened that they are able to walk up to the highest office of the land, and seek to offer bribe to the President of the Republic, then we are losing the fight against corruption. Such people should be exposed immediately.”
The statement continued, “It is questionable that the President failed to cause the arrest of such criminals when the incident happened. It would appear that President Mills, and the NDC government he presides over, have an unhealthy interest in protecting such criminals.
It is to diffuse such an impression that the President needs to stop shielding them, and offer them to the law, without further delay.” The NPP further argued that the President’s shielding of the wrongdoers, indicates the government’s lack of commitment to fighting corruption, opining that coming at a time of ongoing investigations into the Mabey & Johnson corruption scandal, the revelation of the President’s protection for the criminals was embarrassing to the Presidency, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, as well as the nation.
The assertions of the NPP were swiftly rubbished by the NDC, which stated that the pronouncement of Mr. Pianim was reminiscent of what informed Mr. Kufuor to award, then candidate Mills, which NPP members kicked against.
According to Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, General Secretary of the NDC, the pronouncement by Mr. Pinain about President Mills, was a statement of fact.
To him, President Mills was not like President Kufuor, who declared Zero Tolerance for corruption, and later turned round to say a different thing.
Admitting that President Mills was incorruptible, the NDC’s chief scribe made a mockery of the NPP, and urged them not to expose their ignorance in public.
The Chronicle
Accra, Dec. 11, GNA - The Ministry of Tourism and the Ghana Tourists Board, on Friday, denied allegations by an Accra based newspaper that the sector ministers had taken bribe from Zakhem limited, a company developing a hotel at the Accra Race Course.
Mr Julius Debrah, Executive Director of the Ghana Tourists Board who addressed a press conference in Accra to react to the publication explained that Zakhem's local representatives Cascade Development Company Limited, entered into an agreement with the government of Ghana on January 11, 2007 for the re-development of the 14.16 hectare site in Accra previously owned by the Government.
The agreement stated that the Accra Race Course would be developed into a five- star hotel with a shopping mall, office and residential buildings. He said as part of the agreement, the government had 10 per cent share holding in the company.
Mr Debrah said the ministers were invited to the premises of the company by the management to familiarise themselves with the operations of the corporate entity.
Mr Debrah who was flanked by the Minister, Mrs Juliana Azumah Mensah and the Deputy Minister, Mr Kwabena Akyeampong, said the company used the opportunity to present a certificate indicating government's 10 per cent share in the project as outlined and approved by Parliament.
He explained that no money exchanged hands during the visit, although Zakhem Limited at a later date paid cheques of three thousand and two thousand dollars respectively following an appeal made by the Ministry for the production of a post-Obama visit video document and in support of the United Nations World Tourism Day hosted by Ghana earlier this year. "These amounts were paid into the Ministry's accounts and receipts duly issued to cover the said payment," Mr Debrah said, stressing that the cheques paid by Zakhem was a donation in support of the above events. He however said: "if anybody has evidence that the sector ministers collected monies they should let the public know. As far as the Ghana Tourists Board is concerned the Ministers did not receive any cash payment as alleged."
Mrs Azumah-Mensah expressed surprise at the story and reiterated the availability of records to show that the cheques were paid into the Ministry's account.
She said similar donations were made by the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel and other local organisations that supported the World Tourism Day celebrations.
