Woyome Saga: United Ghanaians Abroad Warn Of Street Protests

A group calling itself the Movement of United Ghanaians Abroad (MUGA) has served notice of its intention to hit the streets of six countries in Europe and America to protest against the Mills' administration's handling of the Woyome scandal. MUGA believes the arrest of embattled NDC guru, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, Director of Legal Services at the Ministry of Finance, Paul Asimenu and Chief State Attorney, Samuel Nerquaye-Tetteh is misplaced so long as some key actors, former Attorney-General, Betty Mould-Iddrisu and Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffour who authorized and ordered payments, are still walking. This was contained in a press statement issued by the group from their base in the United Kingdom (UK). Below is a copy of the press release. PREESS RELEASE BY MOVEMENT OF UNITED GHANAIANS ABROAD ON THE WOYOME SAGA We have been following with keen interest the Judgment Debt Scandal, by far the biggest known act of financial impropriety by public officials in Ghana, our motherland, and which will forever live in infamy. As Ghanaians living abroad who toil in sometimes very unfriendly weather conditions to support our tax paying relatives back home, As Ghanaians living abroad who have set up businesses in Ghana to provide employment to our fellow countrymen. As Ghanaians whose remittances to the country constitute the second highest source of foreign exchange? We believe we have equal say on how our leaders handle our national purse just as our compatriots back home. We regret to observe that the conduct of both political leadership and public officials in this matter is a grave betrayal of the trust reposed in them by the people of Ghana. It has been said by President Obama that what Africa needs are strong institutions not strong men. We think, however, that without tough-minded people, institutions cannot command any strength on their own. Democracy and good governance is not entirely about public and political institutions, but a habit of mind of the people. The Judgment Debt Scandal is a clear case of institutional failure. We have reason to believe that there has been negligence, collusion, concealment on the part of some government officials in this Woyome affair and until the government comes clean and acts decisively on this matter without fear or favour, national spirit and national psyche will remain at a very low ebb. Why did officials of the current government not contact former government officials when Woyome came up with his claims? This simple precautionary measure would not escape even an unlettered shopkeeper. Who ordered the payment against the orders of the President? Why did presidential staffers like Alex Segbefia and Akyena Brantuo move from one radio station to another justifying the payment when their employer, the state, through the Attorney General, was in court seeking to retrieve the money from Woyome? Why did the deputy Attorney General, Ebo Barton Oduro publicly state that the government had a "bad case" when his ministry was in court challenging the payment? Why did it take a public outcry more than one year after the event before the government makes a semblance of an attempt to deal with the matter? We can deduce from the consideration of the foregoing questions coupled with the press statement by Martin Amidu, former Attorney General and arguably the most respected politician in Ghana today, that a colleague minister was involved in the perpetration and concealment of �gargantuan crimes� against the state, that there has been a conspiracy at the highest echelons of public office to rob the state.