The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has criticised President Akufo-Addo’s ‘loud silence’ on corruption during his the State of Nation Address in Parliament on March 8.

Addressing the press and a large crowd at an event dubbed, “True State of the Nation”, Mr Asiedu Nketia described the President’s decision not to touch on corruption as being “as loud as his guilt.”

“President Akufo-Addo’s silence on corruption in his infamous address was loud. It was as loud as his guilt. Evidently, corruption has defeated his family and friend’s government,” he said on Monday.

According to Asiedu Nketia, “Instead of confronting this canker head-on, President Akufo-Addo has constituted himself into a ‘Corruption Clearing Agent’, ever-willing to whitewash himself and any of his appointees who dabble in corruption, even before investigative processes commence.”

The NDC Chairman said the President’s actions have emboldened many of his officials, not least the Vice President, Alhaji Bawumia.

This, he explained, is because “the Vice President’s name has come up in multiple corruption scandals such as the PDS scandal, the shady Gold-for-Oil deal, the Stolen Rice scandal and the ‘Appearance Fee Scandal’”.

Touching on the President’s comment that nothing dishonourable was done in the disbursement of Covid-19 funds, Mr. Asiedu Nketia said the statement “adds to the litany of failed attempts to conceal the rot that has left many scandalised, following the publication of the Special Audit Report into COVID-19 funds by the Auditor-General.”

“How does President Akufo-Addo reasonably expect Ghanaians to accept as honourable, the Auditor-General’s finding, that COVID-19 related payments totalling more than GH¢543 million (GH¢543,058,709) were made to various service providers outside of the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), in clear violation of Regulation 61 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2019 (L.I 2378)?

“How about the Auditor-General’s finding that medical equipment valued at nearly US$250,000 (US$247,404.79) which were procured with COVID funds and subsequently issued to some specific health facilities, did not reach the health facilities?” he questioned.

The President’s comment, according to Mr. Asiedu Nketia, is dishonorable in every way because Modern Security Printers Limited, the business that was hired to educate the public about COVID-19 safety procedures for students at the outrageous cost of GH¢1,456,310.00, has already been paid in full without having completed any of the work

He also noted that “everything dishonourable with the damning finding by the Auditor-General that cash payments totalling GH¢11,999,444.00 to caterers who provided hot meals during the three-weeks of partial lockdown were all retired with “honour certificates” instead of receipts and that, other COVID-19 related payments to caterers totalling GH¢5,638,684.00 were neither backed by receipts nor honour certificates.”

“Again, I put it to you Mr. President, that the Government’s management of COVID-19 funds cannot be said to be honourable when the Auditor-General could not verify bills and validate dubious payments amounting to GH¢37,609,791.71 by the Ministry of Finance to NGO’s and Private Individual Water Providers for the provision of so-called free water,” he added,