Ghanaian business mogul, Dr Ishmael Yamson, says President Akufo-Addo’s poor commitment towards the fight against corruption was clearly depicted when he confidently vouched for the integrity of the former Minister for Sanitation Cecilia Dapaah, even before state agencies investigated her for stashing millions of cedis in her home.
There had been calls on the President to sack the Minister after she reported to the police that her housemaid and her accomplice had stolen some significant amount of foreign and local currencies from her home, raising eyebrows about how the Minister could be keeping such huge amounts at home.
While the President failed to sack her despite persistent calls, she resigned as public pressure mounted.
In a response to Madam Cecilia Dapaah’s resignation letter, the President expressed confidence in the integrity of the Minister, a comment that appeared to have exonerated her of any wrongdoing even before an investigation into her conduct commenced.
“I am confident, like you that, at the end of the day, your integrity, whilst in office, will be fully established. I wish you the very best in all your endeavours,” President Akufo-Addo stated in his acceptance letter in response to Cecilia Dapaah’s resignation letter.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Wednesday, November 7, the 81-year-old economist who scored President Akufo-Addo four out of ten for his fight against corruption in the country, berated him for his subtle support for Cecilia Dapaah even before state agencies took on her case.
“My greatest disappointment was when recently we had a case about a Minister who had so much money in her home, and the President said he hoped her integrity would be proven in the end. Why would the President even get involved in this when there are state agencies handling the matter?.”
If you are our leader and you say you trust the person, how do you expect the people following you to go and say the person cannot be trusted; it’s not possible. I don’t think he [President Akufo-Addo] has been able to stamp down corruption in this country; he hasn’t. Because if he has, then all the scandals that come up day after day, why hasn’t he taken firm action to deal with all those things and stop them? Why isn’t any of his people who have been found culpable not in jail?” he asked.
Dr Yamson, who was speaking on the subject of corruption following allegations of vote-buying during the just-ended presidential primaries of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), only singled out Ghana’s first President as the one who stood against corruption.
The Business Management Consultant and CEO of Ishmael Yamson & Associates, noted that since then, all successive leaders including the incumbent President, have failed woefully, leaving the country bankrupt after their tenures.
“Every leader in this country, by the time he leaves office, Ghana is bankrupt because the leader has been very corrupt. And I am not afraid to talk about this because it’s the reality.”
The man, who has been credited for his massive contributions to the growth of Ghana’s private sector, also blamed the role political party financing plays in the pervasive corruption in Ghana.
“This country, for as long as we have leaders who have come into office indebted to people and they have to pay them back, Evans I am sorry. I am painting too bleak a picture, but it’s the reality” he told the host.
When the host, Evans Mensah asked about his view of President Akufo-Addo in the fight against corruption, he responded, “If I mark him [Akufo-Addo] with the same scheme, probably it will be four out of 10.”
When the host retorted ‘That’s a fail’, “Dr Yamson responded, “Oh yes, because even if you yourself as an individual have not dipped your hands into the state coffers, what about all your followers and what have you done about them.?”