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Public sittings of Public Accounts
Committee is a good idea - President Kufuor
Accra, Oct. 22, Ghanadot - President John Agyekum Kufuor
supports the public sittings of the Public Accounts
Committee of Parliament as it falls perfectly in line with
the Government's aspiration of zero tolerance for
corruption.
The sittings are yet another score in the nation's quest for
democracy and good governance, his Press Secretary, Mr
Andrew Awuni said at a Castle press briefing on Monday.
"These sittings symbolize our collective will to put behind
us the dark side of our past and forge ahead with our quest
for a truly open society in which probity and accountability
is not just a mere slogan."
Mr Awuni said while Ghanaians applauded the work of the
Committee and bemoaned the potential losses caused by poor
judgment on the part of some public officials, it was
important to ponder over "what we did not have the chance to
hear about in the past, the losses we made in the past that
we will never get to know, not only in the era of the Fourth
Republican Constitution, but as far back as our minds can
take us".
Revelations at the sittings should, therefore, not be looked
upon as the failure of a Government but, on the contrary,
the triumph of a new regime and a new culture that must be
upheld and rewarded.
"Government is committed to promoting a new culture of
openness and transparency; a culture that frowns at graft
and incompetence; a culture of the rule of law and a truly
democratic society where good governance remains the
cornerstone."
This, Mr Awuni said, had been demonstrated through the
introduction of appropriate legislation and strengthening of
the Public Finance Administration laws and agencies mandated
to fight corruption as well as the expansion of the
frontiers of free expression.
He cited the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law; introduction
of the Procurement Law; Whistle Blowers Act and the
strengthening of the operational capacities of the Serious
Fraud Office; Commission on Human Rights and Administrative
Justice (CHRAJ) and the Auditor-General's Department to
support his assertion.
The Press Secretary entreated the media and social
commentators to refrain from the skewed analysis and the
tendency to misrepresent facts.
They should rather ensure circumspection and high
professionalism and avoid pointing accusing fingers or
judging public officials, who appeared before the Committee
as criminals, saying they should wait for the law to take
its course.
Meanwhile, President Kufuor has been invited as an
International Guest Speaker at two major gatherings of World
Scholars in Oxford, United Kingdom on October 29 and 31,
2007.
These are the inauguration of the Association of Black
Rhodes Scholars at Exeter College in Oxford and a special
session of members of the prestigious Oxford Union that
would focus on topical world issues and in particular on
Ghana's leadership role in addressing development challenges
confronting Africa.
The Oxford Union is noted for hosting influential world
personalities with a record of international speakers like
Archbishop Desmond Tutu; Mother Teresa; Winston Churchill;
Richard Nixon; Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter.
Exeter College is President Kufuor's Alma Mater and it has
begun a Scholarship Scheme it has named after him. This is
open to Ghanaian residents at home who gain admission into
the College.
The College has started receiving applications for this
Scholarship, worth 5,000 pounds sterling annually and
tenable yearly from October 2008.
GNA
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