Prove your commitment to the ‘Anas principle’ – Mahama tells Akufo-Addo

Former President John Mahama has called on President Akufo-Addo to prove his commitment to the ‘Anas principle’ by prosecuting officials at the Inter-ministerial committee on illegal mining captured taking bribe in the latest investigative piece by the celebrated journalist.

Mr. Mahama in a facebook post sort to remind the President of his claim during the 2012 Presidential debate that he will resort to the ‘Anas principle’ to uproot corruption from the social fibre of the country if he became President. He also shared a video of the promise by then NPP candidate now President.

“The investigative exposé by Tiger Eye PI about officials at the Presidency aiding illegal small scale mining, ‘galamsey’, in Ghana, is an example of what our President Nana Akufo-Addo described in the attached video as the Anas principle.

“Despite all the efforts by the NPP and Government apparatchiks to distract the nation’s attention from the premiere of the video last week, the evidence still stares us in the face,” Mahama wrote.

He added: “The President should bring to book and sanction these people that we clearly see in the Anas video indulging in acts of malfeasance and receiving illicit monetary consideration.

“He should let his belief in the Anas principle show by taking action. Action speaks louder than words.

“And while you are at it, let me respectfully inform you sir, that Anas and his team have never felt more persecuted and threatened for the work that they do, than under your administration”.

The investigative piece christened ‘galamsey fraud’ uncovered massive scale of fraud perpetrated by some members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee against Illegal Mining (IMCIM).

The secret filming captured Presidential staffer and Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, Mr. Charles Cromwell Bissue taking cash amounting to GH¢35,000 in three meetings through one Andy Owusu who is aide to Ashanti Regional Chairman of the governing NPP Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, to circumvent the process to renew the mining license for ORR Resources Enterprise.

Details from the investigative piece spearheaded by ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, however, point to a coordinated attempt by key members of the committee to derail the government and President Akufo-Addo’s efforts to fight the illegal mining menace.

Since the documentary aired on Wednesday February 27 there have been demands for persons indicted to be punished.

Government has however requested for the raw footages from the Tiger Eye PI for investigations before any action is taken.

Starrfm