Osman Ayariga, aspirant Deputy National Youth Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has stated that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has failed in his fight against corruption.
In his opinion, the President’s actions have made corruption in his government more appealing.
“Since Mr. Akufo-Addo came into office, he has either failed to act on all the corruption reports that captured his officers or cleared them of wrongdoing,” he stated.
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Speaking on the Key Points show on TV3 on Saturday, August 27, Osman Ayariga said, “If we observe the President’s actions even before the Labianca case, you will realize that his actions have actually made corruption attractive and have emboldened the people who have decided to engage in corrupt activities.”
“We can look at all the cases in which the president in one way or the other, either hasn’t acted or has decided to pick and choose which of the reports will favor any officer. That is why we mention the president as being the clearing agents for all corruption issues.”
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His remarks follow the release of a report by the Office of the Special Prosecutor exposing some corrupt deals involving a Council of State member, Ms. Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh, the owner of Labianca Company Limited, and some officials from the Ghana Revenue Authority’s Customs Division at the Tema port.
Between 2017 and 2021, the OSP investigated alleged corruption and corruption-related offenses involving the evasion and valuation of duties on frozen and processed food products imported into Ghana.
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According to the OSP, the case involved some high-ranking officials from the Ghana Revenue Authority’s Customs Division (GRA).
Interestingly, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) managed to recover over GHC1 million GHC1,074, 627.15 from Labianca Foods in unpaid import duties.
The OSP has also called for wider investigations into the Customs Division of the GRA and demanded a copy of Integrity plans to prevent corruption.
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It was based on these revelations, Col K. Damoah (Rtd), the Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is describing the Special Prosecutor as a ‘small boy who cannot destroy him.
“Since three days ago what has been happening? A report purporting to be coming from the Special Prosecutor trying to indict the deputy commissioner of operations and myself. If anybody has read that report very well, you will know the basis of that and luckily for me, God is always on my side. Before that report came, that person made a statement to some people who had come to them.
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“He was going to publish something that will discredit me and he will do that. I even send people to go and tell him that he is a small boy. I’m older than him. I’ve lived a meaningful life. If he attempts to destroy me, it won’t be easy for him. People have tried and I’ve survived and this one I’ll survive,” he said at a staff durbar in Kumasi today Wednesday, August 10.
