Former Member of Parliament for Asokwa constituency, Maxwell Kofi Jumah, has mounted a spirited defense for the Trade Ministry for charging 100,000 dollars to share the same table with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at an awards ceremony.
It has emerged the Trade ministry collected from expatriates between $15,000 to $100,000 to sit close to the president, at a dinner event of Ghana Expatriate Business Awards, to recognize the contributions of expatriates to Ghana’s economy.
Mr Saeed Fakhri, CEO of Dream Reality and Inesfly also paid $100,000 to sit at the table with the President at the December 8 event held at the Movenpick Hotel in Accra.
North Tongu NDC MP Okudzeto Ablakwa has called this “plain corruption”.
“You don’t use the office of the president to engage in profiteering…corruption has never been this clear”, he said condemning the Trade ministry for “desecrating” the presidency.
Not to be outdone, Tema West NPP MP charged that “if we talk about corruption, then we should point directly at Okudzeto Ablakwa”.
Carlos Ahenkorah who was fuming with anger, described Okudzeto Ablakwa as a ‘thief’ and a ‘liar’; adding he has no moral right to accuse anyone of corruption.
Mr. Ahenkorah had to be restrained by his colleagues while Mr. Ablakwa was whisked away by the Member of Parliament for Tamale North Alhassan Suhuyini to avoid a full blown melee.
The deputy Trade Minister explained that, the event was organized in collaboration with Millennium Excellence Foundation led by leading NDC figure, Victor Gbeho.
The Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Asawase Muntaka Mubarak last week exposed the scandal during parliamentary proceedings.
Though the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has condemned the act, Mr Jumah said he does not see anything wrong with the amount paid by the expatriates.
According to him, the fees charged at the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards though were not approved by Parliament, the monies accrued would be accounted for in the Ministry’s account.
“Seriously, I don’t see anything wrong with the amount paid by the expatriates because I believe that the monies when would be put to good use and would be accounted for.
“I am even shocked at the conduct of Kennedy Agyapong and I think he is just ignorant in making such statements because I know Ken is aware of all these things and how normal these things are and so he should just keep quiet” he said on Okay FM.
Source: Adomonline.com/Dorcas Abedu-Kennedy
Kofi Jumah defends Trade Ministry over $100k-to-sit-close-to-Akufo-Addo
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