Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG), a political pressure group, has called on the President-elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to probe and address the scandals and alleged corruption that rocked the government in the last eight years.
While congratulating Nana Akufo-Addo on his election victory, the group said it was expecting the new administration to, among other things, probe the Woyome scandal, National Service Scheme scandal, Smarty’s deal, Brazil 2014 Fiasco, Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) scandal, the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) scandal and Ameri deal.
“We implore the President-elect to probe the scandals that have rocked this nation in the last eight years,” it noted.
Corruption
At a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Chairman of AFAG, Dr Ayew Afriyie, said corruption had been a bane of the country’s development, hence the need to tackle it.
Dr Afriyie, therefore, said the group, as well as Ghanaians, would be critical of the incoming administration’s efforts to address corruption just as they were during the Mahama administration.
He further reminded Nana Akufo-Addo that Ghanaians expected him to fulfil his campaign promises to put the "nation back on the path of progress."
The group also expressed the expectation that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would build a robust economy to provide employment across the country for the teeming youth.
Institutional corruption
As part of its efforts to help in the battle against corruption, Dr Afriyie further said AFAG would also embark on “institutional corruption exposure” in all the ministries, departments and agencies.
He said the group would “hunt all issues or actions” that would go against the interest of the nation, irrespective of the political affiliation of the perpetrators, adding that the objective of the group to ensure transparency and fight corruption still holds in the era of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Build robust economy
Touching on the welfare of Ghanaians, Dr Afriyie, who is also the Member of Parliament-elect for Effiduase Asokore, urged the new administration to tackle basic necessities such as electricity, gas, water, fuel and telecommunications.
Currently, he said, the system was overburdened with taxes which had collapsed some businesses and bred corruption; therefore, the group was expecting Nana Akufo-Addo to fulfil his promise of reducing taxes.
“We want an economy that will enable individuals to develop the skills that businesses are currently lacking and at the same time reduce social and economic deprivation,” he stated.
While urging Ghanaians not to allow themselves to be used to undermine the incoming government’s efforts, Dr Afriyie cautioned civil servants with vested interest not to attempt to sabotage the new administration.
The group, however, commended President John Dramani Mahama for his contribution towards the development of the country.
The group
AFAG is a political group mostly made up of members of the opposition parties, especially the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The group has over the years condemned corruption and mismanagement of state properties and funds by the outgoing government.
It has in the past years, through a number of protests, registered its displeasure with fuel hikes, utility tariff hikes, economic hardship and corruption.
In 2014, for instance, the group held one of the biggest demonstrations dubbed “Aagbe Wo”, which literally means “They are killing us”, which drew a large number of participants from all parts of Accra.
