Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Elikem Kotoko, has called for the prosecution of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-A
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Elikem Kotoko, has called for the prosecution of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over alleged financial irregularities linked to the controversial National Cathedral project.
Mr. Kotoko said he would be “happy” to see the former president hauled before the courts to answer for what he described as an “organized crime unit set up to siphon or launder state funds.”
“Let me be frank with you, if wishes were horses, I would be happy to see even former president Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo being hauled to court to answer for that hole he dug, which seems to be an organised crime unit set up to siphon or launder state funds,” he fumed.
Mr. Kotoko contrasted Akufo-Addo’s actions with those of Côte d’Ivoire’s former minister Boahen, who, he said, built a place of worship with his personal resources. He accused the former Ghanaian leader of exploiting religion for political and financial gain.
“Our neighbor in Côte d’Ivoire, Boahen, prayed to God and built a place of worship using private funds. But President Akufo-Addo promised God he would build the Cathedral, and he did it with state resources. This is somebody who could even scam God,” he claimed.
The visibly upset Forestry Commission executive expressed disappointment in the moral failings of Ghana’s elderly leaders, saying their actions betray the values they were expected to uphold.
“I am a young person and I frown so much on elderly people not holding in fidelity the virtues that we thought they were supposed to hand over to us,” he lamented.
Mr. Kotoko further described the National Cathedral project as “another avenue to scam the nation,” alleging that prominent religious figures were used to legitimize the scheme.
“This whole National Cathedral thing was another avenue to just scam the entire nation, using some of the very notable religious leaders. Some of them said not a pesewa of public funds would be used — yet look at what happened,” he stated.
He also criticized Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, accusing him of misleading Parliament about the progress of the project.
“At the time he read the budget, he told us rehabilitation work was 90%. A toddler who visits that place will tell you not even 5% has been done,” Mr. Kotoko said.
He alleged that Akufo-Addo manipulated Ghanaians’ religious sentiments to shield himself from scrutiny.
“President Nana Addo only used our vulnerability as a people — that when we mention God, we hesitate to criticize. So he used God to scam all of us,” he charged.
Mr. Kotoko concluded by calling for thorough investigations and possible prosecution of all involved, insisting that accountability in the National Cathedral scandal would serve as a lesson to future leaders.