[ 2016-12-13 ]

Chase corrupt officials - Rawlings tells Akufo-Addo
Former President Rawlings, a known anti-corruption
crusader, has charged the president-elect, Nana
Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to pursue an
anti-corruption drive across-the-board during his
tenure.

In a congratulatory message to Nana Addo, Mr.
Rawlings wrote; “Your victory is a manifestation
of the people’s desire for new leadership, and
comes with enormous responsibilities, including a
commitment to pursue an anti-corruption drive
across-the-board.”

Mr. Rawlings did not mention the specific names of
persons who must be pursued for their corruption
conduct, but he is on record to have stated that
some members of the outgoing government were
corrupt.

“All I can do is speak up. I find myself in a
situation where I have moral responsibility and no
executive authority. I would have wished that my
moral authority could have the same influence. But
that is not the case, corruption has infiltrated
our institutions and their leaders so badly today,
that they use some kind of lens to demonstrate
that you can keep your moral authority, but this
is executive power at work,” Rawlings said in an
interview he granted the Guardian Newspaper in
Nigeria.

According to the NDC founder; “Ghana faces huge
challenges, many of which you promised to tackle
during your campaign tours. You have been elected
as President, because the electorate believes you
have the ability to confront these challenges and
lead the country with fearlessness, humility and
honesty. I commend you for committing to be a
leader for all Ghanaians in your acceptance
address. The onus is on you to pursue a leadership
that unifies the people, so members of the losing
side have no reason to feel insecure. I wish you
the best of luck, as you prepare to assume the
mantle of leadership.”

Meanwhile, Nana Addo, upon the receipt of Mr.
Rawlings message, wrote back to him: “This is to
acknowledge, with thanks, your letter of December
10, 2016, with its heartwarming contents. Our
people, as clearly expressed in your letter, are
confronted with huge challenges – unprecedented
levels of joblessness, high costs of living,
widespread and rampant cases of corruption, and
deterioration in governance and in the quality of
our health and education services – which they
want addressed.

My goal is to provide effective leadership, which
is honest, competent and determined to deliver,
and address these challenges, so that we can put
our nation onto the path of progress and
prosperity, and, thereby, improve rapidly the
standards of living of Ghanaians.

For this to happen, I would need the unalloyed
support of every Ghanaian, irrespective of their
ethnic group or religious or political
affiliation. There can be no room in such an
undertaking for witch-hunting or acts of political
vendetta or harassment. No member of the NDC has
anything to fear from my future government.

I am fully committed to pursuing “an
anti-corruption drive across-the board”, as you
put it, which will be fully anchored in the rule
of law and strict respect for due process. That is
the best form of security for every citizen of the
country.

Once again, many thanks for your letter of
congratulations.

Warm regards and best wishes.

Yours sincerely,

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

President-Elect

Source - The Chronicle

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