A pressure group, Forum for Public Accountability (FPA), has lambasted President John Atta-Mills for appointing people they refer to as “ex-convicts” to serve in very sensitive and big budget state institutions and offices in his administration.
The group argues that Ghanaian prisoners have nothing good left in them, since according to them, the nation’s prison system lacks the capability to reform convicts.
It has therefore requested the president to flush out former convicts from serving in government.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the group mentioned Ghana Gas Company chief, George Sipa Yankey, Agricultural Development Bank’s board chairman, Ibrahim Adams, Ghana’s Envoy to Malaysia, Daniel Abodakpi and Trust Bank board chairman, Kwame Peprah, as the four ex-convicts whose continuous stay in office under the present administration can endanger the nation’s public funds.
The National Convener of the FPA, D. M Ofori-Atta, said president Mills must demonstrate his pledge to fight corruption is not a mere rhetoric.
“The appointment of these gentlemen to sensitive positions is incompatible with President Mills’ avowed objective of fighting corruption…President Mills must demonstrate that his commitment to fighting corruption is not a mere rhetoric. He must give practical meaning to it by not appointing men convicted of financial crimes against the state to various offices,” Ofori-Atta told the press.
He added: “The Forum for Public Accountability deeply deplores the politically immoral act of President Mills in appointing these gentlemen to head very vital institutions in Ghana and hereby call on him to immediately remove them from office. ”
Mr Ofori-Atta said their claim was solely based on morality and was not ready to dabble in any legal tussle with anyone.