Good morning Ladies and gentlemen of the press. It has become more than clear that, the NDC Government headed by Professor Mills for three (3) years, has exhibited to Ghanaians both home and abroad that all cautions from AFAG and other Civil Society groups with respect to the fading purchasing power, suffering, and hardships and the monumental corruption within his government and public institutions have fallen on deaf ears. The cry and pain of the ordinary Ghanaian as of now, has grown from worse to worst whilst poverty levels are unprecedented. However, the TUC in all this trying times, continue to look on helplessly in the midst of the high spate of labor agitation, sky-rocketing youth unemployment, pandemic level of insecurity, worsening living standard of the ordinary Ghanaian, and the unprecedented height of corruption that has permeated this administration. The most strange and nauseating aspect of all these, is the fact that, from President Mills down to the last person in their communication team, for whatever reasons best known to them, wants all Ghanaians to believe that, we are experiencing the so called ‘better Ghana’ and that life is better under Professor Mills than any other Government in our political history. This is sheer propaganda. Let professor Mills be told that, you cannot govern a nation on propaganda. Ghanaians are sinking under the load of his numerous high taxes and unrivalled corruption. From January 2009 till date, the NDC Government disposition and posture gives credence to the fact that they are not prepared to listen to the plight of the ordinary Ghanaian but to set their questions, mark the same and give themselves an excellent mark of 80. AFAG is more than resolve in our effort to expose the level of incompetence, cronyism and grave corruption in the NDC’s Government set-up. Some instances of corruption are as cited below, and the earlier the President acts, the faster the tax payer will be spared of further abuse and misuse of the public treasury. This when achieved, will gain some savings and enable fuel subsidies to be restored immediately. GRAVE CORRUPTION AND WORSENING LIVING STANDARDS OF GHANAIANS It is worthy of note that, at a point where promises in the better Ghana social contract book and the budget from 2009-11,still remains an illusion, the NDC find at the top of their scale of preference a $20million(300 billion old cedis) ultra-modern Headquarters at Adabraka and 80plots of land at Oyibi for their school. This 300billion would have been able to provide the needed relief to Ghanaians as petroleum subsidies for 1 year and 4 months. This is certainly not so, ladies and gentlemen of the press; do you think the government is ‘caring and listening’? Ladies and gentlemen of the press, what has happened to monies up to the tune of Gh690million (6trillion, 900billion) lodged at Ecobank as a result of the illegal margin on petroleum product price-build –up? Is this not able to provide over 20 years of relief as subsidies on petroleum products to Ghanaians? Good people; just look at the absolute disregard for the rule of law in this matter where the NPA per an Accra High court order was asked to reduce the prices of petroleum products, but went on to effect a 15-30% increase (with a feeble excuse as due to the removal of subsidies on petroleum products), though, the court is yet on the 10th of January to determine the viability of the their motion for a stay of execution of the previous High court ruling. Is someone in government ‘caring and listening’ at all? Why the absolute dis-regard for the rule of law under the governance of a professor of law? The (6trillion, 900billion) would be able to subsidies for fuel for over 20 years and some other social intervention program for Ghanaians to feel the real better Ghana agenda that the NDC administration promised and used to support small businesses than prevent them collapsing or laying off staff. Again the haste of the price hikes of fuel by Government and NPA on an already illegal price build-up, against the fact that the court will sit on the viability of their motion of the stay of execution by NPA on the 10th of January snores contempt for the Judiciary and the rule of law. Ladies and gentlemen, the NDC Government headed by Professor Mills has not only mismanaged and misappropriated the Public treasury through their governance style but also zoomed into the financial sector and made nonsense of it management and profit-making capabilities and rendered it fatherless. KWAME PEPRAH SCANDAL AGAIN Fellow Ghanaians, the refusal of the professor Mills’s led government to listen to constructive criticisms from civil societies is costing the Ghanaian tax payer and posterity a lot of money. Not so long that the Wayome scandal emerged, AFAG has uncovered another well orchestrated scandal by men who purport to be helping in the building of this country but whose motives can be likened to the armed robber who comes in not only to rob you off your treasure but also to kill and destroy. Ladies and gentlemen, this scandal is another history in the making supervised by someone who has been imprisoned before for causing financial loss to the state. It is interesting to note that, during Professor Mills’s tenure as the head of economic management team under President Rawlings, he kept a blind eye for Kwame Peprah to cause financial loss under the famous Juliet Cotton rice scandal. This time around under him as the President, he rewards Kwame Peprah with the SSNIT chairmanship only to commit another massive scandal which potentially will jeopardize the future of the Ghanaian worker SSNIT contributions and worsen the plight of pensioners. As we speak now, SSNIT Board Chairman, Kwame Peprah has thrown best practices to the wind by selling off the 61.1% share of the SSNIT at The Trust Bank (TTB) against two most important pillars that will necessitate the sale of a bank or a share in a bank. AFAG finds it intriguing that a bank with high capitalization, the hope of SME’s and high profit-making ratio would be a culprit to such ill-advised sale of its shares, aside the fact that it made 50% profit more than the 2010 profit margin. AFAG and Ghanaians demand for an immediate answer to the under listed questions; • Why did the Board of SSNIT and its managers went against the per share valuation of TTB by Price water house coppers of Gh14 and sell it off at Gh12 per share. • Why did they deny the buying request of Rand Bank of South Africa and Swiss Investment Bank at a share of GH 14 but later sold it to Ecobank Ghana at Gh12 per share? • Why did SSNIT ignore the 1st refusal right of selling its shares to the other share holders with a flimsy reason as share “ swapping” and not “ share selling” • Why was the valuation by an internationally acclaimed institution as Price water house coopers set aside, and with what reasons was it re-awarded for a lesser valuation of GH 12 by Strategic African securities (SAS)? • What should be the reason for SSNIT to off-load it shares in a profit-making venture like TTB (which made an end-on year profit of 50% in 2010 )after SSNIT had injected to the operations of TTB in less than a year, an amount of 670billion only to sell at less than the market price. • Why the deliberate cover-up by SSNIT in sacking the TTB managers as if there was a massive fraud ostensibly to sway public attention from the crux of the issues, even though all payments made by those managers were sanctioned by the very board which was dissolved on the 20th of December 2011. WOYOME-GATE SCANDAL Ladies and gentlemen, another most bizarre and excruciating pain in the heart of Ghanaians is the Woyome-gate scandal. In the history of Ghana, no corruption or scandal is closer to this financial thunder that hit Ghanaians last year. To the extent that, a man gets well paid for an amount of 570billion old currency without having a contract with the government of Ghana? AFAG and Ghanaians are aware and privy to all the argument advanced since the incidence broke out. Our interest is to do with, how this money is returned to the consolidated fund with all those found culpable made to face the full rigours of the law. AFAG is therefore shocked by the directive of the President for EOCO to investigate (this massive scandal which has ignited public fury and interest) instead of ordering for a public enquiry which is only right in line with the President’s political party intrinsic worth of extolling the principle of probity, accountability and transparency. What will therefore, become of the investigations especially when EOCO is under the legal remit of the A-G department and of which, in this case, the A-G is an interested party (Act 804)? Aside all these, it is again mind-boggling for AFAG in particular and Ghanaians at large to exonerate the Presidency out of the Woyome-gate scandal. It is worthy of note that the Attorney-General is the Principal legal advisor to the Government. The Government is not under any obligation or whatsoever to accept the advice of the A-G, hook, line and sinker but subjected to its own understanding, scrutiny, acceptance and rejection. It makes a logical sense that the Presidency is aware of this financial mess. Fellow Ghanaians, the monies involved in this unprecedented chain of scandals including that for the ultra modern $20 million (300 billion old cedis) headquarters of the NDC is enough to provide fuel subsidies to Ghanaians for over 30 years. This is not to talk of others which sooner than later will be revealed by AFAG. Never Again! Mr. President, we of AFAG are more spirited than ever and determined to husband the scares resources of our dear Nation with the drop of blood left in us! We are therefore using this platform to announce an unprecedented start up of a series of mass actions which will allow Ghanaians to express their massive dissatisfaction towards the government deliberate posture of “do no evil, see no evil but sit on massive evil”. Ladies and gentlemen, we are happy to announce to you, AFAG’s ATTA-WAYO demo to be held in Accra on Wednesday the 25th of January 2011. Let God see Ghana and all of us through as we gear up to stand for our right! God bless you, God bless Ghana. Aluta continua! Victoria Ascerta! SIGNED ABU RAMADAN.............0244570006 JAMES KWABENA BOMFEH....0244535472 ARNOLD BOATENG..........0244294754 HENRY ASANTE............0248274646 DAVIS OPOKU.............0244861513 BRIGHT ACHEAMPONG.......0545230621