Witch-hunt claims must stop, it undermines the rule of law- Team Kwakwa to NDC

An Ashanti Regional Organizer Hopeful for the New Patriotic Party, Dennis Kwakwa has described as disgusting claims by the National Democratic Congress(NDC) that charges leveled on the former Chief Executive Officer of Cocobod is an act of witch-hunting adding that it will undermines the rule of law.

“Team Kwakwa” as he affectionately called, who is also a member of NPP Ashanti Regional Communication Team  wondered why the NDC finds the resort by the State to due process to recover monies it deems wrongfully applied or misused an act of persecution.

Addressing the media last Friday, March 16, 2018 in Kumasi to react to NDC Caucus earlier release, Mr Kwakwa said the State has every right to question former or current state actors they find to have misapplied monies allocated to them for a specific purpose.

The Ghanaian people, Mr Kwakwa noted deserve to know how the tax they pay is used, adding the resort to lawful means to ask such questions from state actors is legitimate.

‘’It is quite intriguing to find a party that says it is democratic kicking against the use of legitimate and lawful means to recover State money’’, Mr Kwakwa quizzed.

Below is the full statement.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen from the press and media

You are warmly welcome to this short but important event in the delivery of thoughts in the development of our great country Ghana. I am here individually and in place of a formidable youth group dubbed TEAM KWAKWA to give a deserving response to a the mischievous statement issued by the NDC in Ashanti Region as regards the commencement of prosecution in the matter against Dr. Stephen Opuni, Mr. Seidu Agongo and Agricult Company Ltd. The NDC is indeed acting in bad faith and are showing the acme of insensitivity in the fight against corruption.

I am Dennis Dennis Kwakwa, a Youth Advocate and Activist. I have since the year 2000 been in the forefront of youth advocacy. Haven chalked many successes for the welfare of many young people, I see it an obligation to offer the hand of assistance to all the state institutions mandated to fight corruption. It would be a great disservice if pertinent questions that bother the minds of the good people of this country are left to hand in vacuum. We are therefore grateful for your presence here to providing a good medium to getting the NDC to provide their answers to those questions

I am not only a cocoa farmer, but I come from a family with a long history in cocoa farming. As a boy growing up in Asante Mampong I helped my parents and grandparents in their cocoa farms in as far the Sehwi areas of the Western Region. As a Student, I saw how many of my colleagues from poor backgrounds were rescued by the CMB or Cocoa scholarship scheme, and this is why I am passionate with issues concerning the Agricultural sector and indeed matters with Cocoa.

One of the reasons why most African countries including Ghana has not been able to develop like countries is that “She” attained independence with the lack of the WILL to fight corruption ,being it the formal or informal sector.

The act of corruption and Embezzlement of public funds has caused this country greatly. Between 2003 to 2014, Ghana lost almost GH¢2.5 Billion through Ministries, Department and Agencies alone and this is according to the Auditor-Generals own Reports to Parliament. And between 2009 and 2014, Ghana has lost over GH¢5 Billion through Public Boards, Corporations and Other Statutory Institutions.

Ladies and gentlemen, in a struggling economy like Ghana, these monies which have been lost through misappropriation is not only worrying but frightening, and as if that is not enough, an estimated amount of over GH¢2bn was lost through irregularities at various MMDAS alone.

Background

Team Kwakwa has intercepted a press release from the Ashanti regional NDC, claiming that the allegation of corruption that has been levelled against Dr Opuni who was the former CEO of cocobod is an act of Persecution and Witch-Hunting. We find this comments not only unfortunate but disgusting.

Let’s remind the NDC that one of the biggest source of employment for Ghanaians is the Agricultural sector, with the majority of the sector players being cocoa Farmers. Again let the NDC be reminded that, Cocoa is one of our major source of foreign exchange, therefore the need to protect the coffers and integrity of Ghana Cocobod.

We have some questions for the NDC especially the Ashanti regional secretary and the national organizer Mr Kofi Adams.

1.Is the NDC saying that Ghanaians don’t need to know why Dr. Stephen Opuni, allegedly awarded contracts totaling about $512 million during the transition period?

2. Is the NDC saying that Ghanaians don’t need to know why contracts worth GH¢255 million were awarded to six companies which belonged to one person for the supply of the chemicals?

5. Does the NDC still remember that in 2016, the Industrial and Commercial Workers’ Union (ICU) and the General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU) alleged that Dr. Opuni sold some of the cash crops and kept the proceeds and According to them, such deal and others cost the country in excess of $10 million?
6. Is the NDC saying Ghanaians don’t need to know why Dr. Opuni signed a contract worth GHS43.1million for the supply of fertilizers which were to be imported from Germany for onward distribution to farmers for the 2013/2014 cocoa farming season but the fertilizers were produced locally by Mr. Agongo’s company contrary to the terms of the agreement?.
7. Is the NDC saying that Ghanaians don’t need to know why contracts were signed by Dr. Opuni three days after the inauguration of president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo?

Conclusion

We know through the Former General Secretary of the General Agriculture Workers Union, Kingsley Nkansah that numerous petitions were addressed and sent to the then president John Mahama but no action was taken. We want the NDC to know that our hunger for answers to these questions and more, is the reason we are warning them that any attempt to disrupt, disorganize or prevent the court proceedings of the hearing of Dr. Opuni will be met in an equal measure. In fact, in the court of public opinion with a bench chaired by Mr. Anthony Nukpenu, the Regional Organiser of the NDC in the Greater Accra Region, the NDC officer took on the president of the Republic Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for treating Dr. Opuni with kid’s gloves. He indeed stated that the president ought to have dragged him through the sand and got him incarcerated. But as a present who has respect for the rule of law, he has only sought to seek clarifications from the Defenders through the legal processes.

IS THIS WHAT THEY CALL WITCH-HUNTING?

THAT’S THAT MEAN THAT THE STATE CAN NO LONGER CONVICT PEOPLE RIGHTFULLY IF THEY WERE MEMBERS OF THE NDC?

We want to assure all well-meaning Ghanaians that, a very well organized men and women are on standby to cheer the President, the Attorney General department and any institution or individual who want to see justice delivered and our looted and stolen monies retrieved or accounted for.

We also want to express our profound gratitude to the President of Ghana his excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo, the board chairman Mr Hackman Owusu Agyemang and the rest of the members of the cocobod, The CEO of cocobod and all workers of Cocobod and every Ghanaian who is assisting one way or the other to get cocobod account for any stolen monies under the tenure of Dr. Opuni, becoming a reality.

WE ARE IN CONCLUSION, CALLING OUR BROTHERS FROM THE OPPOSITION SIDE TO RETRACT THEIR UNFOUNDED ALLEGATIONS AND APOLOGISE UNRESERVEDLY TO THE GOOD PEOPLE OF GHANA. ANYTHING CONTRARY WOULD BE A PROOF TO THEIR INSENSITVITY IN FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION AS A COUNTRY.

God bless Ghana, God bless our President and God bless every Ghanaian who is against corruption

GOD BLESS TEAM KWAKWA

Source: otecfmghana.com/ Evans Aboagye