Prez calls on citizens to help fight corruption

President Akufo-Addo has assured the country of his desire to combat corruption and also retrieve monies acquired illegally from those who want the country to go bankrupt.

Touching on a claim by the Auditor-General that GH₵5.4 billion was approved as payment to contractors for either work not done or as double payment, the President said such monies when retrieved can be used to address critical issues in the educational sector or provide needed infrastructure.

President Akufo-Addo made this known in the State of the Nation Address to Parliament on Thursday, February 8.

He said: “The Auditor-General’s Report on MDA liabilities as of 31st December, 2016 makes truly alarming reading. I make reference to the fact that a staggering amount of GH¢5.4 billion has been identified as constituting fictitious claims.”

He bemoaned the fact that Ghanaian students sit on the floor in broken down classrooms and that this huge sums could be used to build hundreds of classrooms as well as construct roads.

He  also stated that since every citizen is affected by acts of corruption, all must put in efforts to tackle them.

He said it is the government’s duty to look into the Auditor-General’s Report and to make sure they retrieve the illegally acquired monies.

The President said the passage of the Special Prosecutor Bill and the appointment of former Attorney General Mr Martin Amidu as the Special Prosecutor is an essential step in the overall strategy to combat corruption.