according to the law. 
The directive to audit the accounts followed comments made by the sacked chief executive Kobina Pra-Annan who threatened to expose the party’s ‘secrets,’ which he said could be damaging to their fortunes in next year’s elections. Obviously peeved by the decision of the president to relieve him off his post, the man went to town and rained serious punches at the president. He even questioned the president’s impartiality and standards as a Christian.He also wondered if the president had not bowed to pressures from self centred party executives within the constituency who wants him out, because he was not prepared to give them contracts though they don’t qualify. Mr. Pra-Annan’s rantings infuriated party executives and as if a show of where power lies, a forensic audit has been ordered into his administration. Deputy Local Government Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah said the decision to audit the man came from the president. He wouldn’t say much except to say the audit will look into the appropriate use of funds allocated to the assembly during the period Mr. Pra-Annan was in charge in charge of the assembly.
Mr. Pra-Annan has however beaten a quick retreat and apologise to the president for his reckless comments, saying he did not know what prompted him to descend heavily on the president. He even went further to beg that his administration should not be audited and that he still loves the ruling National Democratic Congress.
Personally, I find the whole episode bizarre from both sides. This is the first time that a DCE or MCE had been sacked under this current administration that auditors have been asked to move in and check if everything went right. I find it a bit intriguing that if this is not an attempt to show the man ‘WHERE POWER LIES’ so he shuts the hell up, then I don’t know. So far as I can remember, this present administration has shown a lot more DCE’s and MCE’s the door but no forensic audit was conducted into their stewardships.
I remember the incident in Tamale where the chief executive who was even threatened with deaths by stupid party foot soldiers was sacked by the president for no apparent reason. He left on the quiet and nothing was heard. The president’s decision came as a shock to a lot of people especially when he had intimated that he had no intention of taking off the man. But he did.
On whatever grounds that motivated the president to relieve the chap in Tamale from his post still remains a mystery. The refusal of the president to offer explanation as to why the chap was dismissed now opens up speculations that either the man was sacked to satisfy party foot soldiers or corruption. Any of the two could be right.
I have a strong feeling if Mr. Pra-Annan had left without a fight he would have gone to bed with the heft booty he had taken since his appointment. But for him to open his mouth and talk, the mafia inside the Castle surely know what it takes to pipe him down, threaten him with audit.
I have heard him plead that he should not be investigated. That is pretty silly on his part. If he thinks he is clean, then why is he running away from subjecting himself to any financial audit? For a man who was very much determined to expose a sitting president for his clandestine mode of operation to be seen wanting to escape attempts to audit him smacks of hypocrisy. If he has nothing to hide, he should allow the process to take place.
Too many times people ordinary citizens who get into office to serve end up stealing from the people but that attitude must stop. The president must go ahead with the forensic audit and should it come out that the man has skeletons stashed somewhere in his wardrobe, then the security must take action.
However if it is being done to humiliate him because he made unsavoury remarks for which he had apologised for, then I think it is unfortunate.
No comments:
Post a Comment