Don’t base corruption fight on allegations, conjecture – Oppong Nkrumah

The Information Minister says the era of merely speculating and conjecturing as means of fighting the menace is archaic.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah at a press briefing at Techiman in the Bono East Region on Sunday called for accepted means of dealing with corruption.

The Minister said what can help the government to respond effectively to corruption, is for crusaders against the canker to provide verifiable facts to back their claims.

“It is very difficult to fight corruption where the resort is to mere allegations and speculations. Government expects that the anti-corruption fight will focus on facts, verifiable facts,” he said.

The Akufo-Addo government has come under criticisms for many corruption allegations since assuming power in 2017.

Last week, government sacked three top officers of the National Youth Employment Authority (NYA).

While it did not give reasons for its actions, the CEO, Emmanuel Sin-nyet Asigri has been accused of making payments to the tune of GH¢1.5m without recourse to the board of the Authority.

This comes days after undercover investigations by freelance journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, uncovered that the CEO, Adjenim Boateng Adjei, has been selling government contracts to his own company.

Mr Boateng Adjei who has since been suspended by the president is also being investigated concurrently by the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).

Explaining its resolve to fight the canker, Mr Nkrumah said while “the love of the people of this country to fight corruption cannot be faulted,” government expects it to be done on merit.

“As it has been said in times past, the name of the game is evidence. And so we have to get into space where corruption allegations are backed with evidence,” he advised.

This, he said, will pave the way “for tangible verifiable action” on the part of government in dealing with the menace.