You must be the only stranger in Ghana if you don't know about all the rot/corruption that is going on in the country. Even Gallup (Gallup, Inc., is primarily a research-based, global performance-management consulting company) has ranked Ghana as the third most perceived corrupt country among 129 countries with free press.
It is embarrassing for me to see the image of our beloved country badly tainted on an international scale.
So my question is: why is the opposition quiet?
Some of the corruption and looting of public funds may not be known to the public, but we certainly know of a few. For the strangers in Jerusalem, I would like to list a few to get you updated fast:
1. Subah Infosolutions/GRA Saga: GHC144million (2010-2013):
According to myjoyfmonline, Subah Subah Infosolutions Ltd., a subsidiary of Zoomlion Ghana Ltd., was contracted in 2010 by the GRA to provide telecommunication traffic monitoring and is reported to have been paid a whopping sum of Ghc144 million over the period for work for which they had no legal backing to do nor the expertise to carry it out. In the report, the Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Mr George Blankson, indicated that Subah was in fact not known to have any previous experience in monitoring and verifying volumes of phone calls for the purpose of calculating the Communication Service Tax.
And yet the opposition is quiet. Why?
2. Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Agency (GYEEDA)- GH� 203 million(2009-2012):
Between 2009 and 2012, the government used our taxes to fund GYEEDA to the tune of GH�950 million. (Whether GYEEDA is a useful programme or not we would debated at another time). Out of the GH�950 million paid, government own sponsored investigations have revealed that over GH� 200 million was paid for no work done. That means, Ghana lost over 21% of the money it paid to GYEEDA to corrupt officials/companies. The Attorney General's Department (frankly I don't know the use of the AG's department anymore. It appears it is there to assist corrupt public and private officials to loot Ghana's public funds rather than to protect the nation's resources) cannot cancel contracts as recommended by the "Ministerial Investigative Committee which uncovered maladministration and plain stealing in the operations of GYEEDA.
I am in shock and yet the Opposition remains quiet.
3. Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA):- GH� 47 million(2012):
In 2012, SADA paid GH�15million to Asongtaba Guinea Fowl Growers Project(Asongtaba is owned by Roland Agambire of RLG fame) that yielded 600 birds and a paltry 20 eggs. Incredulous !!!! SADA also gave Asongtaba, GH�32million for an afforestation programme. According to public officials, the trees that were planted with public funds miraculously got burnt.
I am in frustrated and yet the Opposition remains quiet.
4. Judgement Debt GH� 600 million(from 2009-2011):
According to the ministry of finance website, "Government has so far paid GH� 600 million as judgment debts since the Mills Administration came into power three years ago". Alfred Agbesi Woyome received GH�51 million for no work done. The list of those that benefited from the judgment debt "create, loot, and share" project is a really long one.
It is instructive to note that all the companies implicated from point one to three above, are either owned by Roland Agambire of RLG fame or Joseph Siaw Agyepong of Zoomline fame.
I am angry and yet the Opposition remains quiet.
The government of Ghana has led us to believe that the government has no money and so in its insensitiveness, it has imposed taxes on condoms, machetes, energy saving bulbs, fishing nets etc. Electricity tariffs have gone up over 100% in some cases (check Daily Graphic October 30th edition, page 58). Transport charges have gone up, gas prices have also increased, and yet our public funds are being opening looted.
The only people that suffer is the poor Ghanaian. The poor are always asked to sacrifice or get out Ghana. You cannot even get a passport in Ghana without having to pay a bribe. Such non-sense!!!!
From all the corruption cases that have come to the public domain, it appears that the government is actively colluding with private companies and individuals to steal from the good people of Ghana.
The money the government take (steal) from us is given out to government cronies, and we the people of Ghana have been quiet. You cannot ask any meaningful Ghanaian to be patient or to sacrifice when the government is openly stealing from us with impunity. When the government increase fuel and utility prices and it gives out state funds to Subah/Gyeeda/Woyome/Sada for no work done, the government is acting like an armed robber.
This non-sense must stop and it must stop now.
CPP, NPP, NDP, PPP, GCPP, AFAG, CAF and all the other acronyms, why are you quiet? We cannot wait till 2016. If the government would not seek the welfare of the general populace, we must force it to spend our money wisely.
Organized labour earned my respect this week for showing its' teeth. However, organized labour proposed action would not be enough to get on the right track in Ghana.
Every individual must hold the government accountable, else we may all be dead by 2016. This is not NDC or NPP matter. This is a matter of life and death. The radio talk show is enough, we need concrete actions to turn our beloved nation around.
God Bless Our Homeland Ghana
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