The resources expended on the fight against galamsey is amounted to a financial loss to the state—Vitus Azeem The former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Profession Kwabena Frimpong Boateng
Mining, Opinion

The resources expended on the fight against galamsey is amounted to a financial loss to the state—Vitus Azeem

An Anti-Corruption Crusader, Vitus Azeem has said, government expenditure on the so-called fight against galamsey is a good example of causing financial loss to the State. The anti-corruption crusader was responding to the report released by Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng. The former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Profession Kwabena Frimpong Boateng in his report has mentioned some names within the corridor of power who has contributed in making the fight against galamsey unsuccessful during his time as a minister. Meanwhile, speaking about the controversial excavator issue, the Minister said, there was a calculated scheme even within the NPP party in government to get him out of office. Responding to the report, Mr. Vitus Azeem told Apexnewsgh.com in an Interview that “When you appoint people into very important positions of State and they seem to be thinking more of themselves than the State then definitely, you don’t expect anything good to our so-called fight against galamsey. The people mentioned are an indictment on the whole government not just on those individuals and because of that, am looking at the past experience because we are not likely to come out with any serious actions against those involved in these allegations”. He believes: “We are not fighting galamsey, we are talking about galamsey, nobody is fighting galamsey, and like I always say about corruption we just talk about it. The people who are supposed to be fighting the galamsey themselves are involved in galamsey as the report shows. So, how can we be claiming of fighting galamsey. There is a wide gap between what we say and what we do and that is very unfortunate for us as a country”. “Why should we pump resources in human and financial resources in something we call fighting galamsey and those we spend the resources on them for the fight against galamsey are implicated in the fight. We send soldiers there, when you send soldiers out to the field the amount of money you spend feeding them and other things is quite a huge amount of money, then you get impound some bulldozers and they will vanish. We need bulldozers on our roads and yet they vanish. How can we be talking about galamsey when that effort is been done? We are causing financial loss to the state and this is endorsed by the people we have elected to manage the resources we have generated as a country. He stressed Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com

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$5m bribe: Vitus Azeem backs calls for independent probe against Chief Justice
Opinion

$5m bribe: Vitus Azeem backs calls for independent probe against Chief Justice

A former Director for the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and anti-corruption crusader, Vitus Azeem has supported calls for an independent investigation into a bribery allegation levelled against the Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah. Just like the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Azeem is sceptical that neither the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council nor the Judicial Service’s investigation into the alleged misconduct will be impartial. He believes an independent body such as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) would conduct a more credible investigation. “The General Legal Council should not be the one investigating the matter because the Chief Justice is the Chair of that body. I think CHRAJ should be the body that should investigate the matter,” said Mr. Azeem on Eyewitness News. Justice Anin-Yeboah denied the allegations which were contained in the response of a lawyer, Akwasi Afrifa, against a petition filed against him by his client at the disciplinary committee of the General Legal Council. He has petitioned the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to investigate the matter. There have since been calls by the NDC for the Chief Justice to step aside while investigations are conducted into the allegation. Chief Justice could remain in office Responding to such calls, Mr. Azeem said the Chief Justice could remain in office so far as the investigation does not specifically border on malpractices in the Judiciary. “I think if it is an institution like CHRAJ that is investigating the matter, once it does not have to do with the overall malpractices in the Judiciary he could remain there while the independent body is carrying out the investigation.” The case Ogyeedom IV dragged Mr. Afrifa to the GLC alleging that the lawyer collected $100,000 from him with a promise to help get a favourable judgement on his behalf as a client. Ogyeedom Atta IV asked the council to order Mr. Afrifa to refund the $100,000, saying the lawyer failed to deliver on his promise. In a response dated July 8, 2021, Mr. Afrifa denied the claims by Ogyeedom Kwesi Atta IV, further alleging that he was asked to refund $300,000 in legal fees to enable his client to raise a $5 million bribe to be paid to the Chief Justice to get a favourable decision in the legal dispute. —citinewsroom Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

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Akufo-Addo’s corruption fight: Negatives more than positives – Vitus Azeem
Opinion

Akufo-Addo’s corruption fight: Negatives more than positives – Vitus Azeem

Anti-graft campaigner Vitus Azeem has expressed disappointment in the Akufo-Addo-led government’s fight against corruption in the country. According to Mr Azeem, the President has not done enough to merit praises so far as the fight against corruption is concern. Mr Azeem said these in reaction to the 21-page letter from the office of the President justifying the forced retirement of Auditor General Daniel Yao Domelevo who is seen by some Civil Society Organisations as been victimized by the Presidency for fighting corruption. The Executive Director of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) observed on the Class Morning Show on Class91.3FM on Monday, 22 March 2021 that any new government is often more corrupt than the previous one. He told show host Charles Oppong Asamoah that: “I wouldn’t say I’ve not seen anything but the negatives are more than the positives. For example, he[Akufo-Addo] promised to establish an office of special prosecutor which he did and appointed somebody from the opposition to lead that office. That is an achievement. “The right to information bill that had been pending since 2003 was passed under his administration and that is an achievement… “In 2017/18 the government increased the allocation to some accountability institutions, so yes, anybody that comes to power is expected to do certain things so he has done somethings but they do not meet the expectations of some of us because when there’s a change in government, people voted for change because they want you to do better, so if you are not doing up to what your predecessor was doing then definitely you don’t deserve any praises. We need to do better. “And I have always had this view that anytime there is a change of government instead of being an improvement, corruption worsens not just with this government. When you look at all governments since 1992, any new government comes, corruption seems to be higher than the one before.” Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0555568093

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