Some Ghanaians have expressed surprise at President Akufo-Addo’s choice to praise Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the recently-resigned Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, despite the fact that her resignation was controversial.
The Minister allegedly stashed large sums of foreign currency in her home, some of which were stolen.
The President hasn’t directly addressed whether or not the Minister’s actions were improper, but he did praise her in his response to her letter of resignation.
The President said “I am confident, like you, that, at the end of the day, your integrity, whilst in office, will be fully established. I wish you the very best in all your endeavours.”
He also said, “It is with considerable regret that I accept your resignation, and I applaud your loyalty to the image and standing of the government.
“The work you undertook during your period in government was excellent and productive, and I thank you for your wholehearted contribution and devotion to the progress of the government and the nation,” he stated.
Critics have already charged the president with repeatedly defending his appointees who are accused of corruption, earning him the moniker “clearing agent.”
The Special Aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, is among those who are utterly shocked by the president’s remarks.
According to Joyce Bawa, the president’s demeanor implicitly endorses the Minister’s actions and, consequently, corruption in his government.
Joyce Bawa claimed that the president’s remarks would encourage other appointees to steal more state assets in a tweet on Sunday, July 23, 2023.
Should we accept the resignation of Ghana’s #Sanitationminister as the solution to the conundrum of stolen money please! Our president @NAkufoAddo has endorsed this act of corruption by praising her loyalty and “fidelity to” this corrupt gov!
— Joyce Bawah Mogtari (@joyce_bawah) July 23, 2023
Additionally, the government has been urged on numerous occasions to see to it that Madam Dapaah is properly investigated by the appropriate state agencies in order to determine how she came by that money.
According to Mary Awelana Addah, the interim executive director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative, President Akufo-Addo has a chance to repair his reputation by making a crucial choice regarding the minister.
On Friday, July 22, the Minister resigned from her position as a result of reports that she had hidden large sums of money in her home, some of which had been stolen by two house helpers who are now being prosecuted alongside other collaborators.
