Akufo-Addo won’t gift family state resources like Mahama did – NPP to NDC
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has hit back at the opposition NDC over the nepotism claim saying even if the names alleged to be family and friends of the president were true, none had been given state resources like President Mahama did.
The National Youth Organiser of NPP, Henry Nana Boakye, who is popularly called Nana B, said President Mahama gave the country’s bauxite resources to his younger brother just five days to the end of his administration.
The opposition NDC on Tuesday reiterated their claim of nepotism against President Akufo Addo, this time, backing it up with names and pictures.
At a press conference Tuesday, the communications director of the NDC Sammy Gyamfi named some 51 individuals who are directly related or close to people around the President and have been appointed to positions in the administration.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the press, among Akufo-Addo’s uncountable relatives in government, is Nana Asante Bediatuo, his cousin from Kyebi, who serves as his Executive Secretary. Bediatuo is not alone! He is joined in government by his father, Kofi Darko Asante, who chairs the Governing Council of GIMPA, his mother, Mrs. Vida Asante, who is the head of the Presidential Household and his brother, Kwesi Kuntu Asante, who sits on the Board of Ghana Hostels. In addition, Nana Asante Bediatuo’s sister, Lauretta Asante (marital name, Otchere), is one of the three Deputy Directors-General at SSNIT who have been appointed by this government.
“Other relatives of President Akufo-Addo who currently occupy various positions in his government include, Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister of Finance; Samuel Atta Akyea, Works and Housing Minister; and Kwesi Amoako Atta, Minister of Roads and Highways, all of whom are cousins of the President.
Friends from the media, in an unprecedented move, President Akufo-Addo has made his own daughter, Gyankroma Akufo-Addo, a member of the Creative Arts Council,” the party said.
According to the NDC, the President has deceived Ghanaians with his campaign promise of not running a family and friends and government.
But the ruling NPP has reacted insisting it cannot appoint enemies to run its government.
“We are not sure about appointing enemies,” he said at a press conference held in Accra Wednesday in response to the NDC’s release of a list of 51 names of persons it claims are relatives and cronies in the Akufo-Addo government.
Nana Boakye claimed NDC leader Samuel Ofosu Ampofo said in August 2013 that he is a strong believer of family and friends.
“We can also come out with a tall list of their relations,” he threatened before dismissing such a move.
The NPP also challenged the authenticity of the list, pointing out that at least 33 names “have no real family ties,” to the President.
He called the allegations of nepotism “frivolous and unsubstantiated” stressing “it should not matter” the family ties an appointee may have.
“Are they not competent?” he said and challenged the NDC to prove the unsuitability of persons it named in their list.
Source: Kasapafmonline.com