The independent parliamentary candidate for Atiwa East Constituency in the 2024 general election, Nana Adjei Kyerema, has called for the immediate resignation of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu Constituency, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa who is also the Minister-designate for Foreign Affairs.
Explaining further, he indicated that he fully supports any policy or measure such as the government's Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) that will forestall the looting of state resources and ensure the recovery of looted resources, irrespective of the time the looting took place or the political affiliation of the perpetrators.
However, such support is also contingent on appointing leaders who have displayed courage, integrity and an unblemished personal record in the fight against graft and corruption. As such, the appointment of Hon. Okudzeto-Ablakwa as chairman of ORAL was initially greeted with general approval given his previous anti-corruption crusade and exposés.
Unfortunately, during the recent ministerial vetting, Hon. Okudzeto-Ablakwa's responses to certain specific questions regarding his ownership of properties and sources of wealth were highly unsatisfactory. This has become a source of disappointment and dismay to the masses who had previously believed in his personal integrity as the “Interceptor-General” and champion of accountability in public service.
Nana Adjei Kyerema stated that Honourable Okudzeto-Ablakwa’s embarrassing failure and difficulty in publicly disclosing the properties he has acquired over the years lowered his standing as an anti-corruption and accountability crusader in the eyes of all right-standing Ghanaians. His claims of only owning what he described as “a simple 4-bedroom house built over 10 years at Aveyime-Battor in the North Tongu Constituency” while “renting” a house in Airport Hills in Accra was frankly insulting and a clear attempt to engage in pure sophistry.
According to Nana Adjei Kyerema, it was quite baffling that Honourable Okudzeto-Ablakwa sought to create the impression that as a lowly public servant, he has no property in Accra where he primarily lives but has been paying a dollar equivalent rent rate for the past 8 years in Airport Hills. “Indeed, having been a Minister of State for 8 years and a four-term member of Parliament, there was no need to be evasive about having properties in Ghana. If we take his submissions as accurate, then one would wonder whether a man who would pay such rent in Accra where he lives and works rather than build a house for himself has the right mindset to represent the country’s interests as the Minister of Foreign Affairs”, he said.
Nana Adjei Kyerema further explained that Hon. Okudzeto-Ablakwa’s evasive responses to questions regarding his assets and business dealings were unjustified as he had on countless occasions publicly disclosed the private details of other people’s assets and business dealings. These disclosures have been used to try, convict and sentence people in the court of public opinion as part of his anti-corruption and accountability crusade. Interestingly, during the shocking episode of his vetting, he disclosed details of the assets of the Minority leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin in a shameful attempt to deflect scrutiny of his hollow answers.
Nana Adjei Kyerema asserts that the North Tongu legislator’s continued stay as chairman of President Mahama’s flagship anti-corruption endeavour ORAL, would not only discredit the initiative but make a mockery of the government’s attempts to recover looted national resources. He wondered whether, after this deeply embarrassing episode which is now deeply etched in the memory of all Ghanaians, Hon. Okudzeto-Ablakwa would still have the moral certitude to pursue an anti-corruption and accountability crusade. “Let’s wait and see”, he said.
