Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma South Fritz Baffour has expressed worry over the reluctance of public officials to let go of state property after the expiration of their term of office.
According to the communications consultant, with Ghana’s democracy having matured after 24 uninterrupted years of constitutional rule, the nation could have, at least, sorted out its political transitions more smoothly.
“I believe that by now, we should have settled the issue of what was permanent and immovable state property. I’m in despair when I hear of officials reluctant to part with or let go of state assets,” he posted to his Facebook wall on Wednesday, January 11, 2017.
Mr Baffour said: “As a son of a very senior government official in the fifties and sixties, I was made to understand that the use of government property was temporary and transitory, to be passed on in immaculate condition to your inevitable successor and so on. I can’t remember for the life of me, my father or his colleagues wanting to keep or buy government property, be it a house or a car, for that matter. In the last two decades, however, the disposal of national assets has reached unimaginable proportions and the retention of property for posterity and our heirs, which was once sacrosanct, is fast becoming a farce.”
This comes at a time controversy is raging over the state bungalow currently occupied by former President John Mahama. The ex-president is yet to vacate his official residence after handing over, indicating that he has requested to keep the property as part of his retirement package.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has said through the leader of its Transition Team, Yaw Osafo Marfo, that a decision is yet to be made on the issue.
Without making a direct reference to the ex-president’s bungalow saga, Mr Baffour challenged Ghanaians to think about the legacy for the younger generation rather than fighting to own state property.
“Ghanaians, let’s please reflect on what inheritance we want to bequeath to our children, morally, ethically, physically, and spiritually. I’m not being judgemental, but I think so far, we are letting the generations to come down badly,” he pointed out.
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