The question is very important, ‘Is the NDC, truly anti-corrupt?’
In every government from the first republic, some form or the other of corruption can be pointed at. And at all times even during dictatorial regimes, people voice their feelings out against this act, which is seen to be bringing down the country.
Jesus Christ’s statement that one does not remove a speck from a neighbour’s eye when he has a log in his, appropriately means that before one accuses someone of a wrong act, he or she must come clean. Or at least, publicly acknowledge his faults and only advise the wrong doer.
Since 2021, the NDC has been crying on roof tops against the current government, calling it the most corrupt government ever.
Before, one goes to reveal the past corrupt records of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), while in government, something interesting is taking place. Wellnoted for always defending wrongs in that party, the status quo still stands as the NDC went berserk after William Ato Essien, founder of the defunct Capital Bank, was jailed fifteen years for stealing Bank of Ghana’s money meant for recapitalizing his bank, ending up running it into bankruptcy.
Social media has it that ex-President John Mahama has promised to give Ato, a presidential pardon whenever the NDC comes back to power.
Before this, the opposition leader in the House of Parliament, Dr. Ato Forson, is standing trial for embezzling €2.37 million meant for the purchasing of ambulances during his tenure as deputy finance minister under the NDC Mahama administration. Even with this baggage the NDC decided to make Forson untouchable by elevating him to the position of minority leader. And Ato Forson could lead demonstration against the governor of the Bank of Ghana.
The NDC’s corruption records are legendary. Its top financier, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, stole over GH¢51 million (over $35 million) in 2009 during the NDC era. Using some legal gymnastics, Woyome is walking freely. And the NDC has not condemned him or even distanced itself from the act.
The NDC used over $274 million to build a single terminal, Terminal 3, in Kotoka International Airport (KIA). Meanwhile at the same period, Ethiopia spent less than $ 30 million to build a complete airport from scratch with terminals like our Terminal 3 in them.
The Kwame Nkrumah Interchange was built under an NDC government at the cost of $ 260 million, while the largest interchange in West Africa, the four-tier interchange at Pokuase, built under the NPP’s Nana Addo’s administration cost $98.4 million.
Among corrupt deals by the NDC government which cost Ghana billions of dollars, is the setting up of the Ghana Retail Payment Systems Infrastructure which was to cost Ghana $1.2 billion when in actual fact the true cost was only $100 million.
With all these and many more, Ghanaians must start asking questions whenever the NDC cries foul against the ruling government. The question should be ‘Is the NDC, truly anti-corrupt?’
The William Ato Essien case is quite interesting. His Capital Bank faced liquidity challenges and went to Bank of Ghana (BoG) for recapitalization. It was awarded GH¢ 620 million in between June 2015 and November 2016 to enable it meet its capital adequacy ratio and to enable it service its maturing debt obligations.
That money was rather used to establish other financial institutions and other businesses with Ato Essien paying himself consultation fees out of the amount. This is a financial crime and it ended him up in jail for fifteen years.
Some questions here, knowing the calibre of administrators of BoG during the NDC regime.Firstly, was Capital Bank facing liquidity challenges that would require recapitalisation or did it cross the line to be considered bankrupt and closed down completely?
Secondly, under Capital Bank’s liquidity problems, did it truly need GH¢ 620 million or something much less? This is important to know,since in the NDC era, it might be that Capital Bank may require only GH¢100 million or even less and that amount was multiplied to get to GH¢620 million.
The current management of BoG may need to take a look at this as it did to the Sibton Switch deal and maybe horrifying revelations may come out.
We are in the era of democracy and what we see is that anybody can stand up and accuse the other of corruption, but are those making the loudest noise very clean, themselves?
Some professors are telling us that Governor Ernest Addison must resign because BoG run losses. Meanwhile, have these professors conducted themselves professionally to produce brilliant students year in year out? Or do they throw out half-baked students into the work market, who may know next to nothing about the job they entered into.
Some students got where they are without academic prowess but to give up something in exchange for grades. If thorough valuation is conducted on our lecturers and teachers many, like Prof Gyampo, will be forced to resign.
As for the NDC, for the former president to promise to release Ato Essien from jail and for Sam Pee Yalley to vow that the NDC should rise up and make sure Hon Ato Forson is not jailed, speaks volume that the NDC will only attack perceived corruption while protecting and promoting corruption to fill the pockets of its gurus.
Hon Daniel Dugan
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
