The Ghana Integrity Initiative says President Akufo-Addo's praise of the Chief Executive Officer of the Jospong Group of Companies has the potential to send confusing signals to Ghanaians on his fight against corruption.
Executive Director, Linda Ofori Kwafo says the comments of the President could cloud investigations into questionable contracts and deals involving the company by the state security agencies.
"There have been investigations ongoing for some time now, and we are yet to hear of the outcomes of these investigations and we are only hoping that this kind of investment will not cloud the judgment of any investigative institution," she said.
Nana Akufo-Addo during an inspection of a Jospong plant to treat waste to fertilizer at Adjen Kotoku in the greater Accra region, commended Chairman the Group, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, for making inestimable contributions to the social life of Ghanaians.
He continued, “When you are at the forefront of doing things like you are, you will be the subject of controversy, it goes with the territory. I know you a little bit, and I know you are capable of handling it. Stay focused.”
This has generated a lot of controversy in light of the many scandals involving the Group. The latest was a fumigation contract with government.
JoyNews journalist Manasseh Azuri Awuni found that the local government Minister signed a ¢98 million cedi fumigation contract with 11 companies, all subsidiaries of the Jospong Group, in spite of the existence of a similar contract for the same job with Zoomlion, another company of the group.
None of the contracts was satisfactorily executed by the 11 companies and some of the MMDA's as a result, called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, cancel the fumigation contracts.
Following the investigations, government suspended the contracts.
Read also: A-G makes adverse findings against Zoomlion
Speaking on an Accra based radio station, Linda Ofori Kwapong said the presidents commendation of the Group comes as an endorsement of how it conducts business, making the ordinary Ghanaian confused, especially when the Vice President, a few weeks ago expressed government's commitment to getting to the bottom of dubious deals under the previous administration, some of which Jospong is involved.
The GII Executive Director asked government to make public the extent of investigations into the latest expose into questionable deals involving the Jospong group, to allay the fears of Ghanaians that the investigative bodies could be compromised by such commendations and other factors.