Corruption indices for the attention of Prez. Mahama
The other day, President John Dramani Mahama challenged citizens of this country with evidence of corruption involving his person or the government he runs, to seek relief in any of the anti-corruption agencies established under the Constitution. The Chronicle would not go to the Commission for Administrative Justice, or any institution of that nature with this one.
We feel obliged to report the conduct of the President and the government he leads to the court of public opinion. On the front page of The Chronicle and many other Ghanaian newspapers yesterday, was a report of corruption in its gargantuan form, perpetrated by the government of President Mahama and the National Democratic Congress, the political party that props up the administration on the good people of Ghana.
It came to light barely two weeks ago that the social democratic administration of President Mahama has parceled out US$47 million of the people’s money in the form of taxes and handed it over to a Chinese consortium, Huawei Technology Company Limited, which has been awarded a government contract in respect of the e-Ghana project.
It is being alleged that Huawei Technology Company Limited is supplying the NDC, the political party forming the Government of Ghana, with T-shirts and other party paraphernalia to enable the NDC be fully prepared to contest the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections.
The Chronicle has in its possession copies of invoices detailing the secret transactions between the ruling party and the Chinese company, that has been doled this huge amount of state money.
If NDC officials argue that it is not possible for the state to cater for fee-free education for Senior High School kids, the answer is found in misuse of the state resources, which could have been ploughed to cater for our school kids, being handed over to a Chinese company, so that the company could supply items to the NDC to fight the 2012 elections.
If this is not corruption on a massive scale, then the indices for corruption have not been defined. The Chronicle would like to know from President Mahama, a product of the fee-free policy for Northern kids, if he is aware of this gargantuan fraud on the people of Ghana.
It looks like the NDC and its top officials are very comfortable doling state resources to foreign concerns, provided the beneficiaries would return the favour, in the form of kick-backs to the NDC.
Documents in possession of The Chronicle, say that the Government of Ghana, using the majority of NDC members in the House, has caused the following loses to the state: Income Tax: US$4,987,295.00, Output VAT: US$7,344,322.36, Input VAT: US$4,351,945.14 and Custom Duties US$26,358,254.
Other incentives include a waiver of EDIF and ECOWAS Levies, Destination Inspection Fees, corporate charges, withholding taxes, corporate income tax and other charges. With these huge loses to the state, there is no wonder that those who benefitted from the northern free education are kicking against the idea of the state paying for our children’s education.
It is beginning to look like this government is more comfortable doling out state resources to foreign elements to aid the party, than catering for our kids. The President is on notice to respond to this accusation.
In the diction of The Chronicle, this dole-out and the resultant deal between Huawei Technology and the NDC is corruption on a massive scale. We await the official response of President John Dramani Mahama.
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