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Press Release
AFAG, January 11, 2011
AFAG ATTA WAYO DEMONSTRATION
Good morning Ladies and gentlemen of the press.
It has become more than clear that, the NDC Government
headed by Professor Mills for three (3) years, has exhibited
to Ghanaians both home and abroad that all cautions from
AFAG and other Civil Society groups with respect to the
fading purchasing power, suffering, and hardships and the
monumental corruption within his government and public
institutions have fallen on deaf ears. The cry and pain of
the ordinary Ghanaian as of now, has grown from worse to
worst whilst poverty levels are unprecedented.
However, the TUC in all this trying times, continue to look
on helplessly in the midst of the high spate of labor
agitation, sky-rocketing youth unemployment, pandemic level
of insecurity, worsening living standard of the ordinary
Ghanaian, and the unprecedented height of corruption that
has permeated this administration.
The most strange and nauseating aspect of all these, is the
fact that, from President Mills down to the last person in
their communication team, for whatever reasons best known to
them, wants all Ghanaians to believe that, we are
experiencing the so called ‘better Ghana’ and that life is
better under Professor Mills than any other Government in
our political history. This is sheer propaganda. Let
professor Mills be told that, you cannot govern a nation on
propaganda. Ghanaians are sinking under the load of his
numerous high taxes and unrivalled corruption.
From January 2009 till date, the NDC Government disposition
and posture gives credence to the fact that they are not
prepared to listen to the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian
but to set their questions, mark the same and give
themselves an excellent mark of 80. AFAG is more than
resolve in our effort to expose the level of incompetence,
cronyism and grave corruption in the NDC’s Government
set-up.
Some instances of corruption are as cited below, and the
earlier the President acts, the faster the tax payer will be
spared of further abuse and misuse of the public treasury.
This when achieved, will gain some savings and enable fuel
subsidies to be restored immediately.
GRAVE CORRUPTION AND WORSENING LIVING STANDARDS OF GHANAIANS
It is worthy of note that, at a point where promises in the
better Ghana social contract book and the budget from
2009-11,still remains an illusion, the NDC find at the top
of their scale of preference a $20million(300 billion old
cedis) ultra-modern Headquarters at Adabraka and 80plots of
land at Oyibi for their school. This 300billion would have
been able to provide the needed relief to Ghanaians as
petroleum subsidies for 1 year and 4 months. This is
certainly not so, ladies and gentlemen of the press; do you
think the government is ‘caring and listening’?
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, what has happened to
monies up to the tune of Gh690 million (6trillion,
900billion) lodged at Ecobank as a result of the illegal
margin on petroleum product price-build –up? Is this not
able to provide over 20 years of relief as subsidies on
petroleum products to Ghanaians? Good people; just look at
the absolute disregard for the rule of law in this matter
where the NPA per an Accra High court order was asked to
reduce the prices of petroleum products, but went on to
effect a 15-30% increase (with a feeble excuse as due to the
removal of subsidies on petroleum products), though, the
court is yet on the 10th of January to determine the
viability of the their motion for a stay of execution of the
previous High court ruling. Is someone in government ‘caring
and listening’ at all? Why the absolute dis-regard for the
rule of law under the governance of a professor of law?
The (6trillion, 900billion) would be able to subsidies for
fuel for over 20 years and some other social intervention
program for Ghanaians to feel the real better Ghana agenda
that the NDC administration promised and used to support
small businesses than prevent them collapsing or laying off
staff. Again the haste of the price hikes of fuel by
Government and NPA on an already illegal price build-up,
against the fact that the court will sit on the viability of
their motion of the stay of execution by NPA on the 10th of
January snores contempt for the Judiciary and the rule of
law.
Ladies and gentlemen, the NDC Government headed by Professor
Mills has not only mismanaged and misappropriated the Public
treasury through their governance style but also zoomed into
the financial sector and made nonsense of it management and
profit-making capabilities and rendered it fatherless.
KWAME PEPRAH SCANDAL AGAIN
Fellow Ghanaians, the refusal of the professor Mills’s led
government to listen to constructive criticisms from civil
societies is costing the Ghanaian tax payer and posterity a
lot of money. Not so long that the Wayome scandal emerged,
AFAG has uncovered another well orchestrated scandal by men
who purport to be helping in the building of this country
but whose motives can be likened to the armed robber who
comes in not only to rob you off your treasure but also to
kill and destroy.
Ladies and gentlemen, this scandal is another history in the
making supervised by someone who has been imprisoned before
for causing financial loss to the state. It is interesting
to note that, during Professor Mills’s tenure as the head of
economic management team under President Rawlings, he kept a
blind eye for Kwame Peprah to cause financial loss under the
famous Juliet Cotton rice scandal. This time around under
him as the President, he rewards Kwame Peprah with the SSNIT
chairmanship only to commit another massive scandal which
potentially will jeopardize the future of the Ghanaian
worker SSNIT contributions and worsen the plight of
pensioners.
As we speak now, SSNIT Board Chairman, Kwame Peprah has
thrown best practices to the wind by selling off the 61.1%
share of the SSNIT at The Trust Bank (TTB) against two most
important pillars that will necessitate the sale of a bank
or a share in a bank. AFAG finds it intriguing that a bank
with high capitalization, the hope of SME’s and high
profit-making ratio would be a culprit to such ill-advised
sale of its shares, aside the fact that it made 50% profit
more than the 2010 profit margin.
AFAG and Ghanaians demand for an immediate answer to the
under listed questions;
Why did the Board of SSNIT and its managers went against
the per share valuation of TTB by Price water house coppers
of Gh14 and sell it off at Gh12 per share.
Why did they deny the buying request of Rand Bank of South
Africa and Swiss Investment Bank at a share of GH 14 but
later sold it to Ecobank Ghana at Gh12 per share?
Why did SSNIT ignore the 1st refusal right of selling its
shares to the other share holders with a flimsy reason as
share “ swapping” and not “ share selling”
Why was the valuation by an internationally acclaimed
institution as Price water house coopers set aside, and with
what reasons was it re-awarded for a lesser valuation of GH
12 by Strategic African securities (SAS)?
What should be the reason for SSNIT to off-load it shares
in a profit-making venture like TTB (which made an end-on
year profit of 50% in 2010 )after SSNIT had injected to the
operations of TTB in less than a year, an amount of
670billion only to sell at less than the market price.
Why the deliberate cover-up by SSNIT in sacking the TTB
managers as if there was a massive fraud ostensibly to sway
public attention from the crux of the issues, even though
all payments made by those managers were sanctioned by the
very board which was dissolved on the 20th of December 2011.
WOYOME-GATE SCANDAL
Ladies and gentlemen, another most bizarre and excruciating
pain in the heart of Ghanaians is the Woyome-gate scandal.
In the history of Ghana, no corruption or scandal is closer
to this financial thunder that hit Ghanaians last year. To
the extent that, a man gets well paid for an amount of
570billion old currency without having a contract with the
government of Ghana? AFAG and Ghanaians are aware and privy
to all the argument advanced since the incidence broke out.
Our interest is to do with, how this money is returned to
the consolidated fund with all those found culpable made to
face the full rigours of the law.
AFAG is therefore shocked by the directive of the President
for EOCO to investigate (this massive scandal which has
ignited public fury and interest) instead of ordering for a
public enquiry which is only right in line with the
President’s political party intrinsic worth of extolling the
principle of probity, accountability and transparency. What
will therefore, become of the investigations especially when
EOCO is under the legal remit of the A-G department and of
which, in this case, the A-G is an interested party (Act
804)?
Aside all these, it is again mind-boggling for AFAG in
particular and Ghanaians at large to exonerate the
Presidency out of the Woyome-gate scandal. It is worthy of
note that the Attorney-General is the Principal legal
advisor to the Government. The Government is not under any
obligation or whatsoever to accept the advice of the A-G,
hook, line and sinker but subjected to its own
understanding, scrutiny, acceptance and rejection. It makes
a logical sense that the Presidency is aware of this
financial mess.
Fellow Ghanaians, the monies involved in this unprecedented
chain of scandals including that for the ultra modern $20
million (300 billion old cedis) headquarters of the NDC is
enough to provide fuel subsidies to Ghanaians for over 30
years. This is not to talk of others which sooner than later
will be revealed by AFAG.
Never Again! Mr. President, we of AFAG are more spirited
than ever and determined to husband the scares resources of
our dear Nation with the drop of blood left in us! We are
therefore using this platform to announce an unprecedented
start up of a series of mass actions which will allow
Ghanaians to express their massive dissatisfaction towards
the government deliberate posture of “do no evil, see no
evil but sit on massive evil”.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are happy to announce to you,
AFAG’s ATTA-WAYO demo to be held in Accra on Wednesday the
25th of January 2011.
Let God see Ghana and all of us through as we gear up to
stand for our right!
God bless you, God bless Ghana.
Aluta continua!
Victoria Ascerta!
SIGNED
ABU RAMADAN 0244570006
JAMES KWABENA BOMFEH 0244535472
ARNOLD BOATENG 0244294754
HENRY ASANTE 0248274646
DAVIS OPOKU 0244861513
BRIGHT ACHEAMPONG 0545230621
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