21 December 2011
editorial
The President of the Republic has been back from his holiday in North America for four days now. It is our hope that by now, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills has received all the briefing notes he requested, in respect of the Alfred Agbesi Woyome case.
We expect the father of the nation to give the next direction on what the state of Ghana needs to do to recover the huge loss. We are told that the amount doled out to the National Democratic Congress bankroller has now reached GH ¢58 million. In the old currency, it is ¢580 billion.
In the American currency, it is close to $40 million. In whatever currency the money is converted, it represents a colossal loss to the state. Surely, the State of Ghana cannot afford to throw this money at a person, who, so far, has not succeeded in producing any paper indicating that he has ever been given a contract.
We are also waiting on the pronouncement from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the party office building saga. We are told that under the party’s constitution, President John Evans Atta Mills is the leader of the NDC.
On Page 34 of the party’s manifesto, the NDC pledges to rid this society of corruption. We believe it is the NDC’s abhorrence of corruption that influenced party members to shout all sorts of unprintable words when Kufuor and his New Patriotic Party (NPP) were in power.
We are inviting you, His Excellency, to reflect on the brouhaha that greeted the announcement that Chief Kufuor, son of the President at the time, had borrowed on the open market to acquire the African Regency Hotel.
Your top aides, including Ms Comfort Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Mr. Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, now party scribe, with the Committee for Joint Action stalwarts like Dr. Omane Boamah, Kwesi Pratt and Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, all close aides of yours while in opposition, made the acquisition of the hotel by a son of the sitting President a major political issue.
The Chronicle is of the view that the GH ¢58 million Woyome issue, and the secrecy surrounding the party head office palaver, could contribute to send you back into opposition. As Head of State of this Republic, the way and manner your Attorney-General packaged that quantum of state money and handed it over to Alfred Agbesi Woyome, described in various circles as a friend of yours, and one of the financiers of your 2008 campaign, must be a scar on your conscience.
While these two are threatening your Presidential power-base, The Chronicle has learned that there are moves to increase the ex-pump prices of petroleum products.
This, surely, is not the time to put more misery on the hard-up Ghanaian. Mr. President, in a moment like this, kindly take a trip down memory lane to the campaign trail in 2008, and recall what you told the electorate.
In case, you do not remember those trying days, because of your heavy schedule as President of this Republic, The Chronicle takes this advantage to remind you of one that is resonating in many private discussions: “I will reduce fuel prices drastically.”
Some of us thought that at the time you made that pronouncement, you had your sight on a miracle the average Ghanaian did not know. Three years down the line, there has been no proof that you are capable of walking your talk. That is why we are pleading with you not to rock the boat any further.
You are on the last leg of your four-year mandate. The past three years have been very challenging to many Ghanaians. Surely, this is not the time to add to people’s economic woes. Mr. President, anger is building out there.
There is a certain level of discontent in the body politic. That is why we are cautioning you not to push the people too far. Your close aides may not tell you, but the discontent is building up into outright anger. That is why The Chronicle is advising you not to tempt fate.
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