Audio Attachment: Listen to Carlos Ahenkorah in an interview with Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' |
Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah has debunked claims that the Trade Ministry charged expatriate businesses money to sit close to President Nana Akufo-Addo during the recent Ghana Expatriates Business Awards.
Carlos Ahenkorah on Tuesday locked horns with the Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa at Parliament when the latter was addressing the issue in an interview with the press.
Mr. Ablakwa described the move by the Trade Ministry as "extortion, dubious and unethical" and hoped the President and the Members of the Legislative House would sanction the sector Minister and his deputy.
But Mr. Ahenkorah stormed the interview accusing Mr. Ablakwa of being a thief, which nearly resulted in fisticuffs.
Speaking in an interview with the 2016 GJA Best Journalist of the Year, Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Mr. Ahenkorah sought to set the records straight.
According to him, the expatriate businesses were not charged to sit close to the President neither were any charges made to attend the Awards event.
He explained that the Trade Ministry opened up for sponsorships and some of the expatriate businesses opted to sponsor the event.
Among the sponsorship packages were an opportunity to the sponsors to sit close to the President and even with that package, he disclosed that it was two companies that paid an amount to be beside the President.
To him, this is a normal practice and he doesn't see anything wrong with it because it was a sponsorship package but not an act of extortion as purported by the Minority in Parliament.
Mr. Ahenkorah stated emphatically that his outfit did a very good job and deserved commendation not the usual political drama by the opposition parties, particularly the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Background
The Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak raised an allegation in Parliament last Friday over the Trade Ministry's act.
He alleged there were illegal charges imposed on businesses by the Ministry, revealing that the Ministry charged the participants $100,000 to sit closer to the President at the awards held on Friday, December 8, 2017 at the Movenpick Hotel in Accra.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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eeeei Ghana
In a democracy, the Presidency is a product. The Brand now is NPP. The Brand used to be NDC. Alan is a Trade Minister of the NPP Brand. He buys and sells products. Profit. Demand and Supply. Simple. Now let us move on to other issues. Leave the man alone to do his work. He is trying to bring in the Cash. That is his name. He is just doing his job.
Why do you allow such simple matter to degenerate into scuffle?
Granted what you are saying is true, why the initial denial that something like that happened? All these defense are a careful planned attempt to deceive those who ready to allow themselves to be deceived.
So if the story is true, then why go about insulting people, only to beg for forgiveness later?
OFTEN PEOPLE WHO LACK IDEAS FOR INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY EASILY CRITICISE THOSE WHO HAVE THE COURAGE TO DO THAT. SOME MISCHIEVOUSLY SABOTAGE THE EFFORT TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY. JUST AS IT IS IMPORTANT TO SCRUTINIZE GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES TO AVOID ANY WRONG DEEDS, IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO ALLOW AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE WITH CREATIVE SPIRIT TO BRING INNOVATIONS INTO THE WAY WE DO THINGS. HOW CAN WE GROW IF WE ALWAYS DO THINGS IN THE OLD WAY.
I know the opposition and a cross section of the Ghanaian public are just playing mischief about the whole issue. I know Carlos Ahenkorah and i can vouch he is very few deputy ministers working hard to commensurate the Nana Addo's govt. We should all support him......Ghana first..
First the sector minister comes out to deny that such a thing happened then the ministry PRO comes to confirm it but fail to give out the sharing ratio on Star fm. Carlos the deputy denied it and called others names and nearly fought to defend his stand only for all of them to make a U-turn and say it was a sponsorship package. What do these people take us for? A private organisation is organising an event which the trade ministry claims through the PRO that they wouldn't spend a dime on it and that the organisers should look for funds themselves only for the said money to be paid into the Trade ministry Account and the presidency is saying there was no wrong doing in this? Mr. President please come again. This is ***barred word*** and an insult to the high office of the President of Ghana.
who and who should focus on what...this guy denied the story and later came back to say what. Ghanaians are not fuuuuuuuuuuuuuls. NPP can fuuuuuuuuul their supporters and remote control them but not us.
Yhh public explanation should focus on this line more. cos if an award program is organized and it's used to raise funds by letting people sit beside prez, it cannot be termed as corruption esp when there's no news about any misuse of money realized. Ken aggyapong should also be warned about his reactions on certain sensitive issues. at times he should pause and say let me find out what really happened before.