President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has failed to tackle the rampant issue of corruption in the country, according to Dr Ishmael Evans Yamson – a well-known Ghanaian businessman and economist.
In an upcoming episode of PM Express on Joy News, Dr Yamson didn’t hold back his criticism of the current president and successive leaders for their failure to address the issue, leaving the country in a dire financial state after their tenures.
Despite praising Ghana’s first president for standing against corruption, Yamson’s assertion that the current leadership has failed to tackle the problem is alarming and highlights the urgent need for action.
“Every leader in this country, by the time he leaves office, Ghana is bankrupt because the leader has been very corrupt. And I am not afraid to talk about this because it’s the reality.”
The Octogenarian particularly condemned the vote-buying phenomenon in Ghana’s politics and warned that there is no way Ghana would change for the better if that act is encouraged and emboldened as was exhibited during the NPP’s presidential primaries.
Helping others to buy our votes will not in any way change Ghana. It will not change this country” he stressed angrily.
The man, who has been credited for his massive contributions to the growth of Ghana’s private sector, also blamed the role political party financing plays in the pervasive corruption in Ghana.
“This country, for as long as we have leaders who have come into office indebted to people and they have to pay them back, Evans I am sorry. I am painting too bleak a picture, but it’s the reality” he told the host.
When the host, Evans Mensah asked about his view of President Akufo-Addo in the fight against corruption, he responded, “If I mark him [Akufo-Addo] with the same scheme, probably it will be four out of 10.”
When the host retorted ‘That’s a fail’, “Dr. Ishmael Yamson responded, “Oh yes, because even if you as an individual have not dipped your hands into the state coffers, what about all your followers and what have you done about them?”
Like many others, the 81-year-old retired Chairman & CEO of Unilever Ghana, with vast experience in business and economic issues, also condemned the President’s posture when the case involving the former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah, came up regarding how she had stashed millions of cedis in her home.
“My greatest disappointment was when recently we had a case about a Minister who had so much money in her home, and the President said he hoped her integrity would be proven in the end. Why would the President even get involved in this when state agencies are handling the matter?”
If you are our leader and you say you trust the person, how do you expect the people following you to go and say the person cannot be trusted; it’s not possible. I don’t think he [President Akufo-Addo] has been able to stamp down corruption in this country; he hasn’t. Because if he has, then all the scandals that come up day after day, why hasn’t he taken firm action to deal with all those things and stop them? Why isn’t any of his people who have been found culpable not in jail,” Dr. Ishmael Yamson asked.