Corruption in Ghana:Chief Director contests interdiction in court

Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, has since the corruption impasse resigned from office The Chief Director of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr Albert Anthony Ampong, is challenging his interdiction, following investigations into allegations of financial impropriety leveled against Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, the former sector minister. He is seeking a declaration that an order directed at him to refund $20,000 and a further order that sanctions must be applied against him are unlawful. Mr Ampong was ordered to proceed on leave on July 7, 2009, following recommendations from the National Security Committee which investigated financial impropriety leveled against Alhaji Mubarak by the Principal Accountant at the Sports Ministry. In an application for judicial review filed against the Attorney-General and the Head of the Civil Service, Mr Ampong is also seeking a declaration at the High Court that the decision of the Head of Civil Service to implement directives from the President was unlawful. The applicant is further praying the court to quash the decision to interdict him on the grounds that due process was not followed and, therefore, it was a violation of the relevant laws and disciplinary regulations of the Civil Service of Ghana. Mr Ampong is additionally seeking an order prohibiting the respondents from imposing any disciplinary sanctions against him on the basis of the National Security report on investigations into allegations against Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak. He is likewise praying the court to grant an order of mandamus to compel the Head of Civil Service to allow him to resume his normal duties as the Chief Director of the ministry among any other orders the court might deem fit. According to the applicant, the respondents acted illegally, unreasonably, capriciously arbitrarily and in an unfair manner. An affidavit in support of his application, stated that he was only called as a witness at the committee set up to investigate Alhaji Mubarak and not as an accused person. It said he testified at the committee, although he was refused legal representation, adding that he informed the committee that he had advanced $20,000 to Alhaji Mubarak after the money had been advanced to him by the Principal Accountant of the ministry. According to the affidavit, he had to date "not been furnished with a copy of the National Security's report into the allegations leveled against the then minister, even though the President purported to take a disciplinary decision against me and has recommended further disciplinary sanctions against me, on the strength of that report". It further stated that the Civil Service Council was the disciplinary authority for all civil servants and disciplinary proceedings in cases of misconduct and unsatisfactory service on the part of civil servants and therefore a civil servant could be disciplined only in accordance with strict adherence to the Civil Service Act and regulations and accepted principles of fairness, natural justice and rule of law. According to the applicant, he was denied legal representation as well as access to the responses of the then honourable minister to the various allegations, therefore such action violated the Civil Service regulations regarding proper investigations into suspected misconduct of civil servants and also basic standards of procedural fairness. The affidavit stated that the whole report of the National Security Committee in so far as it related to the findings of misconduct against him was unsustainable "to the extent that on the basis of the evidence before it, particularly the evidence of witnesses that appeared before it, no reasonable tribunal of fact applying itself seriously to the evidence, could have reached the conclusions against me in the manner the committee did". A date is yet to be fixed for hearing. Source: Daily Graphic

Ghana: Bribery scandal rocks Premier League

Welbeck Abrah-Appiah, Chairman of the Professional League Board (PLB) With one match more to end this year’s Glo Premier League controversy seems to have hit the exciting league as several allegations have been leveled against some of the teams, for playing fixed matches. Among the hardest is an allegation uncovered by Joy Sports that Vincent Odotei, Chief Executive Officer of King Faisal is attempting to bribe players of relegation bound, Sporting Mirren to play it hard, in order beat Hearts of Oak, who are favorites to win the 2008/2009 league. According to reports, Mr. Odotei attempted to influence the game between Hearts and Mirren on Sunday, which will enable him return to the Phobians, where he was the Acting Chief Executive at the beginning of the season. Similarly, the matches between King Faisal and Kotoko and also All Stars and Hasaacas, which were both played at the Baba Yara Stadium, are being alleged to have been influenced. Whilst Kotoko badly need a win to stand any chance of wining the league, in a situation where Hearts slips, Hasaacas must also win to remain in the premier league for next season. Other matches, regarded as important because of the relegation blues that bedevils the teams, will have to be keenly monitored by the Professional League Board (PLB). Meanwhile, some club officials have reiterated claims that other clubs in the League approached them to play their 28th week matches in a compromised way. Rev. Osei Kofi, a member of the interim management committee of Kotoko, told CITI Sports that two of his colleagues, were approached by officials of Ashgold to play a match of convenience which has been denied by Kojo Fianoo, Chief Executive Officer of Ashgold. Similarly, Berekum Arsenals have angrily rebuffed rumors that they played a match of convenience against Hearts of Oak, as the one-all draw game at the Golden City put the latter in good position to win this year's league. Before the match, it was speculated that Arsenals had been paid an amount of Gh40,000 cedis by Hearts of Oak to aid their title winning campaign. But Arsenals team manager, J.A Awudu told Joy FM that “All these are allegations; if you look at it, Kotoko lost four successive matches in Kumasi, and Hearts of Oak also lost in Accra; but these were not considered as fixed matches. Why then should people have that perception?” The match between King Faisal and Tema Youth were alleged to have suffered the same fate. Source: Daily Guide

MP throws corruption charges at ECG, Board chair demands hard evidence

Squadron leader Clend Sowu, Chairman of ECG Board Chairman of the Board of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Capt. (Rted) Clend Sowu is demanding evidence following allegations of deep seated corruption at the company. An application to Parliament to waive taxes on equipment procured by the ECG, opened the outfit to criticisms as Members of Parliament accused the company of corrupt practices. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, MP for Manhyia on the floor of the House accused directors of the company of mismanagement and flouting the procurement law with impunity. In a subsequent interview with Joy News, the MP cited the purchase of amorphous chords for transformers in 2007 which he said did not follow procedures set out by the ECG’s own internal rules. Those chords, he alleged, had not been used in the country before. He is outraged that the directors of ECG have again opened tenders for consultants to give directions on how these transformers will be used. Opoku Prempeh also accused the acting ECG director of nepotism for changing the management members even in his acting position and with barely six months for him to go on retirement. He has sworn to expose the rot in the company, and is ready to provide all documents to the two parliamentary committees charged by the Speaker of Parliament, Joyce Bamford Addo to investigate the matter. Even before the committees begin sittings on the allegations, Clend Sowu has charged the accuser to add more flesh to his allegations. “The honourable MP should bring me the facts, figures pertaining to those facts, and the source of those facts.” He is not impressed with empty allegations which he said were most often than not calculated to “pull people down.” Indeed he smells a “pull him down syndrome” in the allegations made by the Manhyia MP, and so challenged him to provide the evidence for him to begin investigations into the matter. He gave the assurance that under his watch, all allegations of corruption would be investigated swiftly, and people found culpable will be dealt with according to the law. Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com

Corruption in the NDC: Muntaka 'Pampers' In Court

The Muntaka Pampers/Khebab scandal that rocked the government of President John Evans Atta Mills and caused the six-month-old administration its first political casualty, is bound to linger on for years.

Even though National Security and President Mills say they have dealt with the matter conclusively, indications are that more can of worms could be opened on the matter one of these fine days.

This is because one of the victims in the matter has not only expressed his displeasure at the way the matter was handled, but also dragged the government to court.

Mr. Albert Anthony Ampong, the interdicted Chief Director of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, has sued both the Attorney-General and Head of Civil Service over the manner in which the matter was handled.

In a suit dated 7th July 2009 and filed at the Accra Fast Track High Court, the applicant called for a Judicial Review because he strongly believes the President's decision to accept the National Security report hook, line and sinker was unlawful.

He also prayed the court to set an order of certiorari to quash the decision of the Head of Civil Service to carry out the President's directive on the grounds that it was a gross violation of the process.

Mr. Ampong further asked for an order of mandamus to compel the Head of Civil Service to allow him to resume normal duties as Chief Director.

The grounds of seeking the above reliefs are procedural impropriety, illegality and want of power under the Civil Service Act, unreasonableness, capriciousness, arbitrariness and unfairness on the part of both government and the Head of Civil Service.

In an affidavit in support of the suit, the applicant contended that even though he was not the subject of the National Security investigations, he, a witness, was interdicted.

According to him, the four-man team failed to bring him and the former Sports Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, to cross examine each on the issue of the $20,000, which he insisted he gave to the former minister.

“....it is pertinent to note that at the time I was called to appear before the committee, the honourable minister had already appeared before the committee and given evidence in my absence”.

He said not only was he denied access to his lawyer during his interrogation, but that the committee failed to record the several protests he made during the interrogation, even though he was assured the protests would appear in the final report.

On the second respondent, the applicant said if for anything at all, it is the Civil Service Council that had any disciplinary authority in such matters and not the Head of Civil Service.

It is recalled that following the 'Muntaka Pampers Saga', both Ampong and Adim Odoom, the Principal Accountant who opened the can of worms at the ministry, were interdicted.

Their letters of interdiction, dated 3rd July 2009 and signed by Joe D. Issachar, Head of the Civil Service, noted that the President, John Evans Atta Mills, had accepted the findings of the National Security Report.

While on interdiction, the two will be paid half their gross salaries provided they did not owe government. In addition, they would not be permitted to leave the country without the permission of the Head of Civil Service.

Muntaka was compelled to resign less than three months after he was sworn in as Sports Minister, following serious questions about his moral life, part of which cost the state some financial loss.

What let the cat out of the bag was a 17-point petition the principal accountant submitted to the President.

Interestingly, the National Security report on the petition said they could not establish any of the allegations, except a few question marks about Muntaka's moral life.

With the current legal battle in place, observers say more rot at the ministry will be exposed, some of which could border on some recent World Cup qualifiers which the Black Stars won.

By Bennett Akuaku

Source: Daily Guide - Daily Guide

Muntaka 'Pampers' In Court

The Muntaka Pampers/Khebab scandal that rocked the government of President John Evans Atta Mills and caused the six-month-old administration its first political casualty, is bound to linger on for years.

Even though National Security and President Mills say they have dealt with the matter conclusively, indications are that more can of worms could be opened on the matter one of these fine days.

This is because one of the victims in the matter has not only expressed his displeasure at the way the matter was handled, but also dragged the government to court.

Mr. Albert Anthony Ampong, the interdicted Chief Director of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, has sued both the Attorney-General and Head of Civil Service over the manner in which the matter was handled.

In a suit dated 7th July 2009 and filed at the Accra Fast Track High Court, the applicant called for a Judicial Review because he strongly believes the President's decision to accept the National Security report hook, line and sinker was unlawful.

He also prayed the court to set an order of certiorari to quash the decision of the Head of Civil Service to carry out the President's directive on the grounds that it was a gross violation of the process.

Mr. Ampong further asked for an order of mandamus to compel the Head of Civil Service to allow him to resume normal duties as Chief Director.

The grounds of seeking the above reliefs are procedural impropriety, illegality and want of power under the Civil Service Act, unreasonableness, capriciousness, arbitrariness and unfairness on the part of both government and the Head of Civil Service.

In an affidavit in support of the suit, the applicant contended that even though he was not the subject of the National Security investigations, he, a witness, was interdicted.

According to him, the four-man team failed to bring him and the former Sports Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, to cross examine each on the issue of the $20,000, which he insisted he gave to the former minister.

“....it is pertinent to note that at the time I was called to appear before the committee, the honourable minister had already appeared before the committee and given evidence in my absence”.

He said not only was he denied access to his lawyer during his interrogation, but that the committee failed to record the several protests he made during the interrogation, even though he was assured the protests would appear in the final report.

On the second respondent, the applicant said if for anything at all, it is the Civil Service Council that had any disciplinary authority in such matters and not the Head of Civil Service.

It is recalled that following the 'Muntaka Pampers Saga', both Ampong and Adim Odoom, the Principal Accountant who opened the can of worms at the ministry, were interdicted.

Their letters of interdiction, dated 3rd July 2009 and signed by Joe D. Issachar, Head of the Civil Service, noted that the President, John Evans Atta Mills, had accepted the findings of the National Security Report.

While on interdiction, the two will be paid half their gross salaries provided they did not owe government. In addition, they would not be permitted to leave the country without the permission of the Head of Civil Service.

Muntaka was compelled to resign less than three months after he was sworn in as Sports Minister, following serious questions about his moral life, part of which cost the state some financial loss.

What let the cat out of the bag was a 17-point petition the principal accountant submitted to the President.

Interestingly, the National Security report on the petition said they could not establish any of the allegations, except a few question marks about Muntaka's moral life.

With the current legal battle in place, observers say more rot at the ministry will be exposed, some of which could border on some recent World Cup qualifiers which the Black Stars won.

By Bennett Akuaku

Source: Daily Guide - Daily Guide

Crime Unit in Nigeria investigates Rawlings accusation

The allegation made by Johnson Ude, publisher of the Nigerian website, pointblanknews.com, has caused nagging controversy in both countries with tales of denial from the Nigerian governor and the Ghanaian ex-president.

It is against the electoral laws of Ghana for political parties to receive funding from foreign donors for their political campaigns.

Mr. Rawlings has not only described the allegations as untrue, but has reportedly called for a chemical interrogation to ascertain its veracity.

But the EFCC has disclosed that an investigation is currently underway, not necessarily chemical.

Femi Baba Femi spokesperson of the EFCC told Citi News, the allegations have not gone unnoticed.

Baba Femi revealed The River State is being investigated over a myriad of allegations.

The Chief of Staff to the Governor, according to the spokesperson has already been hauled to court in Abuja over about 5 billion Naira fraud.

His aides have also been declared wanted, Baba Femi noted.

He would not disclose how deep the investigation has gone, neither would he disclose if the government of Ghana has been contacted.

Source: Myjoyonline

Which is the most Corrupt Party in Ghana NDC or NPP?

When they were in opposition the National Democratic Congress [NDC] constantly accused the New Patriotic Party [NPP] of being corrupt and the accusation continued when President Mills government took office. The NPP has been accused by the NDC for appropriating millions of dollars during the celebration of Ghana@50. The NPP has also been accused of making profits from the building of the Jubilee House built to house the presidency. The allegation has forced President Mills to delay moving into House.

The allegations against the NPP seem to go on by the day with P.C. Appiah Ofori a member of the NPP party going public to accuse Members of Parliament belonging to the NPP. He accused them of receiving $5000 each during the sale of Ghana Telecom in which they were asked to vote to support the motion.

NDC also points out the loan secured by the son of former president Chief Kuffour could only have been granted due to his relationship with the father.

Again the NDC says Dr. Anane corruption saga in which he was investigated and exonerated points to a deep seated corruption practices in the NPP.

NDC says the investigation of Asamoah Boateng over award of contracts in his ministry is a clear manisfestation of what the NPP is best noted for. The arrest of former foreign minister Kwasi Osei-Adjei is another attestation of deep seated corruption in the former ruling party, NDC claims.

Pointing to the 25,000 dollars registration fee paid by each of the presidential candidates who contested for the flagbearership of the party as nothing more than looted public money. NDC says the $25,000 could only have come illegal source and probably from the state coffers.

The NPP on the other hand has countered the NDC's accusations by pointing to the massive corruption scandals that marked the 11 years of PNDC and 8 years of NDC rule. They point to recent revelations that suggest the NDC transition team spent a whopping 3.61 billion cedis on tea and water within two months. In I told you so style members of the NPP say NDC is only a reflection of an advanced cancer that cannot be cured. They point to recent media report that the NDC spent one million new Ghanaian cedis (about 10 billion old Ghana cedis) during President Obama's visit and question how the NDC could spend such amount in just under 24 hours.

NPP also points to revelations in Nigeria and Ghanaian newspapers that the Governor of Rivers State of Nigeria Mr. Rotimi Amaechi paid $3.5 million to ex-President Rawlings which was used to bankroll NDC 2008 election campaign that brought them victory.

NPP says the NDC is like a pot calling the kettle black and points to recent information in public domain that Mahama Ayariga the spokesperson for President Mills has illegally acquired five tractors meant for poor Ghanaian farmers. NPP say Ayariga took five tractors meant for underprivileged farmers and paid for only one whose price was further reduced for him.

NPP says the NDC top brass should shut their buccal cavity because they have no moral right to accuse its members of corruption. Members of NPP claim that NDC shady deals are everywhere for all Ghanaians to see and say the trial of Scancem officials in Norway in 2007 in which they revealed that they paid millions of dollars to Rawlings and his wife through Unibank account in Luxemburg and Barclays bank account in Geneva, Switzerland show the extent in which corruption has become part and parcel of NDC leadership.

NPP says corruption is really in the DNA of NDC and they point to the revealation by the former director of Biwater Company in the UK that he paid 7000 pounds per child per term for Rawlings children who studied in UK.

They have accused Muntaka of using his office as a charity office for his family buying pampas, khebab and travelling around with his girl friend at the cost of the Ghanaian tax payer. They point to Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak as the living proof and the real embodiment of NDC corruption.

The NPP further points to an ongoing corruption trial in Southwark Crown Court, London, United Kingdom in which a family company called Mabey & Johnson of UK is believed to have paid $6 million to NDC party gurus in exchange for bridge contracts. It has been revealed that the said corruption took place between 1994 and 1999 at a time when the current President of the Republic President Atta Mills was vice the president with Rawlings as president. They claim that the mention of current Health Minister George Sipa Yankey and four others as being the main recipient of the bribe money as nothing new.

One NPP guru quoting from the Statesman said: "Former President Rawlings has always used the slightest opportunity to preach the virtues of instilling probity, accountability, integrity and ethics into Ghanaian politics. But this case of a British Company A little-known family who became one of the richest in Britain - accused of making excessive profits, by building what their critics call "bridges to nowhere", charged with corruptly influencing Ghanaian politicians and officials between 1994 and 1999 to gain bridge building contracts in Ghana, is a sudden twist of events". The NPP guru concludes that the case has destroyed the little political capital that the NDC had.

Another NPP activist also quoted from another paper saying: "The history of bribery among NDC officials is legendary. In 2002, the former Managing Director of Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL), Mr. Etienne Arthur Marie Popeler told an Accra Fast Track Court that he gave monies to Dan Abodakpi, the former Minister of Trade and Industry, Sherry Ayittey, Treasurer of the 31st December Women’s Movement and Mr. Emmanuel A. Agbodo, (former Executive Secretary) of the Divesture Implementation Committee (DIC) under the previous NDC Administration to influence the divestiture of GREL". The 51-year old Belgian said he paid $1 million bribe to the 31st December Women’s Movement (31st DWM), an NGO run by Rawlings’ wife, for his French company SIPH to secure GREL. Sherry Ayitey is back under the Mills-administration as Minister for Environment and Science.

NPP further points to the bribery and corruption scandal hit the Rawlings administration in 1995/96 when CHRAJ conducted investigations into allegations of corruption and illegal acquisition of assets made against four ministers of state and some senior government officials. The case involved Col E.M Osei-Owusu (Rtd), a former Minister of the Interior; P.V. Obeng, Presidential Staffer, Ibrahim Adam, Minister for Agriculture and two others from the Agriculture Ministry and Adjei Marfo, Chief executive officer of a state owned company. NPP continues that the adverse findings made by the Commission against three of the officials and the infamous white issued by the Rawlings administration to cover up the malfeasance can only happen within the NDC and nowhere else.

NPP says corruption allegation levelled at current Foreign Minister Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni is only a tip of a herculian problem and a practice which is so common in the NDC. NPP says an audit report from the Auditor General's office implicating Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni in financial malfeasance and wrong-doing makes the NDC and the government of Fiifi Mills a laughing stock in the international community especially when it comes to negotiations in financial matters.

NPP says a speech by the Nobel Laurent, Prof. Wole Soyinka during the second anniversary lecture in memory of the late nationalist, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin in Akure, Ondo State, in which he said: "I challenge President Olusegun Obasanjo to use his anti-corruption crusade in repatriating our monies looted by the military regimes and the $5 million money given to President Rawlings who joined hands with General Abacha in embracing the culture of corruption which has tainted Nigeria as a nation" is not only an indictment on the persoanlity, integrity and everything Rawlings and the NDC stand for or have stood for but is also an indelible mark that can never be erased and will go down in history as one of the most corrupt leaders ever to have governmed Ghana.

NPP says the sudden and unexplained sacking of Victor Smith by Rawlings using a text message can only be explained by money that Smith did not allow Rawlings to receive from a Nigerian financier. During the last Ghana election, Rawlings got upset because Victor Smith directed a Nigeria financier who wanted to give money to Rawlings for NDC campaigns, but Victor Smith told the Nigerian to give it to the Mills campaign team. This made Rawlings to fire Smith by text message, telling him to seek employment at the Mills campaign team.

NPP says the millions of cedis that were found in the bedroom of former Attorney General and Minister of Justice of NDC in the person of Dr. Obed Asamoah only point to "the help yourself" government that existed before the NPP took over in 2000.

And as if that all these are not enough Nana Ohene-Ntow, the General Secretary of the NPP in a hot exchange with Kofi Adams has called on Jerry Rawlings t(he founder and a key member of NDC), to come clean if he is not corrupt. Nana Ohene-Ntow told Adams who doubles as the spokesperson for Rawlings and NDC Deputy Youth Organiser, "he [Rawlings] should tell Ghanaians how he got money to build his mansion at Agyirigannon, how he financed his children's fees abroad, and those who provided him the 4 wheel drive vehicles.If he fails to provide the hard facts, he should desist from disturbing the peace of this country".

With no ending sight to accusations and counter accusations of corruption in Ghana which party can be considered most corrupt it is only Ghanaians who can say which party is the most corrupt in Ghana.

By Lord Aikins Adusei

JJ’s aide And Ohene In Hot Exchange over who is most Corrupt

The two major political parties in the country - the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are on each other’s throat over the acquisition of state properties by members of both regimes. While Nana Ohene-Ntow, the General Secretary of the NPP contends that the founder of the NDC, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings has no moral authority to talk about corruption, the deputy National Organizer of the NDC, who is also a spokesperson for the NDC founder, Mr. Kofi Adams has rubbished the claims.

According to Kofi Adams, it is rather a case of the pot calling the kettle black, when the NPP, under former President John Agyekum Kufuor during their 8 year regime amassed wealth which cannot be compared to Mr. Rawlings’ 19 years rule as president of this nation. To him, the assertions by the NPP stalwart that Mr. Rawlings should furnish Ghanaians with information about how he built his only property at Adjirigano, a suburb in Accra was laughable because that it was an attempt to divert the sensitive issues raised by Mr. Rawlings about attempts of some members of the opposition to denigrate the ruling NDC with armed-robbery, kidnapping and others.


In his view, the NPP was only running away from its own shadows and trying to read meanings into whatever the NDC founder would say. “They know that the former President is not corrupt and has not illegally acquired property. They have investigated him during their 8 year rule and found nothing against him, except that they are finding it difficult to tell the truth. “Indeed, if they have found something against him, they would have gone after him because Rawlings did not stop criticizing them even during their tenure of office, and up till today he continues to accuse them of being corrupt,” he said.

The two politicians clashed on an Accra based radio station over the weekend when commenting on issues raised by the former President to the extent that some elements within the NPP are behind the recent armed-robbery and kidnapping among others. Mr. Adams believed strongly that the invectives and innuendoes of Nana Ohene-Ntow was just one of the many diversionary tactics. Earlier, Nana Ohene-Ntow had told the Chronicle newspaper that Mr. Rawlings has no moral authority to accuse people of corruption. According to him, the former President has not lived up to his principles of probity and accountability, and therefore dared Mr. Rawlings to provide evidence of allegations of corruption charges that he continues to level against officials of the NPP, without providing any concrete evidence to back his allegations. “I challenge him to provide the evidence that incriminates the NPP members and to stop making unsubstantiated allegations, and when he is pushed to the wall he demands to be subjected to chemical interrogations.


“He should stop the fluke of chemical interrogations. He is not a special person. He is just like anyone of us now. He should go ahead and name the people he thinks are corrupt and are behind the armed-robbery, abduction and many vices in the country,” he intoned. According to Nana Ohene-Ntow, Mr. Rawlings is disturbing the peace of the nation by making such wild allegations. “He is disturbing the peace of the nation. If he really loves this nation, he should desist from making such explosive statements.”
Continuing, he said that “He has no moral right to talk about corruption. If he wants the people of Ghana to take him serious, he should tell Ghanaians how he got money to build his mansion at Agyirigannon, how he financed his children's fees abroad, and those who provided him the 4 wheel drive vehicles. If he fails to provide the hard facts, he should desist from disturbing the peace of this country.”


source: The Chronicle

Nigerian Governor: JJ Is My Pal

Rotimi Amaechi, the embattled Governor of Rivers State in Nigeria, has confirmed that indeed, ex-President Jerry Rawlings is his friend.The multibillionaire Governor however denied ever giving Rawlings an alarming US$3.5million of Nigerian taxpayer’s money to finance the 2008 election campaign of Ghana’s ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC). The explanation from the Nigerian Governor came at a time when dust was yet to settle over reports that he was being investigated for having misappropriated an amount of N500 billion (about $3.6 billion) and that he smuggled $3.5 million of the said amount to finance the NDC in Ghana, using Rawlings as a conduit.Governor Amaechi, in a rebuttal, described the report as “arrant nonsense” but maintained that he had a cherished friendship with Jerry Rawlings- a relationship which Amaechi said he had no regrets about but insisted that he had nothing to do with financing the 2008 elections in Ghana in anyway. Vexed with pointblanknews.com, the online media house that broke the story, Governor Amaechi charged at the publishers: “They have no respect for people who have made their mark in the world of transparency like Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings. “I am sure the publisher would have been in the primary school when Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings became President of Ghana. I wish to reiterate that the respected J.J. Rawlings has no business dealings with me nor did I fund the Ghanaian election in anyway. However, I cherish his friendship and have no regrets.”The Governor said the entire money Rivers State had received since he took office was way below the alleged N500billion and thus, it was illogical to claim he was being accused of having misappropriated an amount of money higher than what the state was given. David Iyorfor, Spokesperson for Governor Amaechi, who travelled all the way from Nigeria to debunk the story in Ghana, told Daily Guide that the fact that his boss once stayed in Ghana for nine months did not mean he was staying with Jerry Rawlings as had been reported.He said when the story broke Amaechi and Rawlings spoke on phone and laughed it off. David Iyorfor however did not tell which one of the two politicians called the other. “Why does it matter who called who? What matters is that they talked on phone and laughed it off because it is not true,” he stated. Iyorfor explained that Amaechi had to stay in Ghana under cover at a time he had reason to believe his life was not safe in Nigeria. He disclosed that the Rivers State Governor was then battling his political rivals in court and as part of his security precautions, had to stay in Ghana throughout the entire trial period.“It is so simple to cross check from the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Rivers State Ministry of Finance to know how much money was given to us and you would realize it is not up to what they claim the Hon. Governor had misappropriated.“The allegation is a weighty one that can affect diplomatic relationships between the two countries and I dare the accusers to produce the so-called evidence they claim they have. Since they claim the money was given to Rawlings in the form of a bank cheque, I wonder why they are not producing the bank account, which bank the money was cashed in and on which date, so we can all investigate.” When asked his views on why such an allegation would be made against Governor Rotimi, David Iyorfor had this to say: “Amaechi is a politician and I don’t know about Ghana but the Nigerian politician is an endangered specie and there is always one negative story, petition or complaint about them. We are convinced this is one of those stories. “Governor Amaechi would not contribute to financing a political party in Ghana when he knows very well that both countries have laws that forbid such acts. Amaechi is a man of integrity and I dare those making the allegations to pipe down and apologize or prove their case.” source: D-G

The Corrupt Muntaka 'girl missing'

Former Youth and Sports Minister Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak The Majority Leader in Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin has confirmed reports that Edith Zinayela, the lady at the centre of the Muntaka's is no longer in his office. Speaking to Citi FM Friday, Mr. Bagbin noted that to the best of his knowledge, Miss Zinayela was on leave and that he did not know when or if she would be back. He declined to comment on whether or not Alhaji Muntaka was in a romantic relationship with the mystery lady who played a role in the former Sports Minister being booted out of government. Meanwhile, the former Sports Minister, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak, is angry at National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs, following the manner in which they responded to his recent predicament. The only gratitude he had was ironically for MPs of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region who assured him of their unwavering support during the heady days of his ordeal. His colleagues in Parliament, he said, were rather eager to see his back because they felt his continued stay in office was not in the interest of the party. In a rare warning to the NDC, he said the leadership must be wary of a devastating anti-Northern agenda within its ranks. Speaking Hausa to listeners of a local FM station in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi, he said should the trend continue in the NDC, the electoral fortunes of the NDC would be shaken in future. To his supporters, he asked that they remained calm. He reminded the NDC that it was the Aliens Compliance Order that caused the NPP to lose favour with Northerners and Zongo residents. Alhaji Muntaka did not seem to have a good impression about his colleagues in the NDC, describing them as people who remained indifferent about his plight. As for the NPP elements in the Parliamentary caucus in the Ashanti Region, he doffed his hat for the solidarity they showed him when he was struck by the recent ado. These NPP MPs, he added, showed interest in the matter and even assured him of their unflinching support. Alhaji Muntaka confessed to his listeners that pressure was brought to bear on him to resign by some bigwigs of the ruling party. He said some ministers of state and NDC MPs inundated him with phone calls to resign his position a few days before the National Security report was made public. The party bigwigs, whom he said coerced him to resign, told him that they had spotted the report and that the best option for him was to resign to safeguard the image of the government. The call for him to resign, he went on, did not surprise him because some elements in the party did not want him to be given the appointment. The Asawase MP said he only got the appointment after some opinion leaders in the Zongo community prevailed upon the President to consider the support these segments of the country rendered the NDC during the elections. It would be recalled that following the resignation of the MP as Youth and Sports Minister, his party executives at Asawase in the Ashanti Region took to the streets. They warned the government to rescind the decision to oust the MP as minister or face their wrath when the next elections were due. The constituency executives also resigned their positions in protest at what befell their man. They have since renounced that decision. In an unrelated development, a group, Associates Of The Youth (AOTY), has called on the President to have the former minister processed for court. The call was contained in a release signed by the group’s spokesperson, Dan-foster Oduro, in which the group stated that there were still some questions about the former minister. The Asawase MP was embroiled in a 17-point scandal involving allegations of using the office imprest for a number of unusual expenditure. When the matter hit the media, the President ordered the National Security to probe it, at the end of which he was given a clean bill of health whose integrity is being questioned by a cross section of Ghanaians. While the report cleared him in one breath, it subtly queried him for indiscretion in the matter of the lady he traveled with to La Cote d’Ivoire and Germany. Source: Daily Guide