Deputy Information Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says the discovery of gold at the Elmina beach in the Central Region is testament to God’s blessings on the country.
He said, “As we speak, we are grappling with thousands of residents of Elmina who have abandoned their jobs, who have abandoned their homes because gold has surfaced. This is the only country, perhaps – I’m not aware of any other country – that mineral resources chase the people.”
Mr Ablakwa was speaking at a forum in Accra organised by pro-government pressure group, Committee for Joint Action (CJA).
The CJA asked President Mills to initiate steps to punish corrupt officials under the erstwhile Kufuor administration.
Joy News’ Beatrice Adu, who was at the last major conference of the CJA for 2011, reported that members took turns to condemn the NPP administration for allegedly breeding deep-seated corruption in the country.
A member of the CJA, Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, accused the previous NPP government of deliberately weakening anti-graft agencies allowing corruption to fester.
Only this week, Transparency International’s 2011 Corruption Perception Index showed that corruption is on the rise.
The country performed worse on the index than it did last year and the government, according to Mr Ablakwa was heartbroken by the development.
The CJA however maintains that the NPP was responsible for worsening corruption situation in the country.
Felix Kwakye, a youth activist of the governing National Democratic Congress claimed the Dutch government which funded the School Feeding Programme, withdrew its funding because of corruption under the NPP.
He said the Mills-administration must punish corrupt former government officials especially those who sold and bought government lands.