GHANA: Information Minister and Deputies accused of massive corruption

A group within the Information Services Department (ISD) has accused Information Minister John Tia and his two Deputies of unbridled corruption.

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The concerned members of the ISD, in a long statement claim Mr John Tia Akologo takes between 2,000 and 5,000 Ghana cedis from the coffers of the Ministry anytime he travels outside Accra.

The group, which refers to the Minister and his Deputies as “greedy, corrupt and selfish”, allege monies meant for the ISD have been deliberately locked up in the Ministry’s coffers. It claims only 45,000 of a budget of 340,000 Ghana Cedis allocated to the ISD were released in 2009. The Concerned staff also alleged that a budget of 145,000 Ghana Cedis released for public education on the H1N1 influenza was diverted.

They also claim that the department has not received a pesewa from the budget of 195,000 Ghana Cedis meant for public education on the state of the Nation Address.

They claim Mr Akologo sacked the immediate past Acting Director of the Department because he felt threatened that the widespread corruption at the Ministry could be exposed.

Meanwhile, the Information Minister, Mr. Tia Akologo has dismissed the allegations by the concerned staff of the ISD. He dared the group to provide evidence if they have any.

“They should bring the records and show when I have taken 2,000, 5,000 or 10,000. They should bring the records and show. You see it is not a matter of sitting down and saying that because somebody doesn’t have access to this area or this people then you just write anything. There are records to show, I know what the guy did and I don’t want to talk of his corrupt practices which is not compatible with my lifestyle and which is the problem we have been facing for some months.”

“How long have I been there to determine that I don’t want to work with somebody? I will not work with you if you are not a team player…I am repeating what I said earlier, tell him that he should better go and mend his ways, he should watch himself, he should stop looking for what he calls scapegoats because it is he himself who is a scapegoat”, he said.

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