English: The interview translated below! Africa24 TV
Presenter :
Good evening and welcome Mr. Osei Mensah
Osei Mensah Michael :
Thank you and Good evening to all our Ghanaian telespectators
Presenter :
The President is accused of corruption. What do the people hold against him ?
Osei Mensah Michael :
The accusations are more or less political. He has been accused of accepting a Ford 4/4 vehicle from a Burkinabe entrepreneur after a contract awarded to him by the Ghana government. It all happened whilst he was a Vice-President in 2012. It has since been added to the fleet of vehicles at the Presidency devoiding it of the personal gift factor. This vehicle gift shouldn’t have been accepted by the Presidency. I believe it was a simple lack of being cautious as the status of Presidency demands and not neccessarilyy an act of corruption because if it had to do with corruption then taking the equivalent in cash would have been easier.
Presenter :
Do you think this accusation is enough to impeach him.
Osei Mensah Michael :
No. I think it shouldn’t have occurred but this can’t call for impeachment. The Presidency is worth more than a 4/4 I understand why it has become a political propaganda and of course it can have some weight against him.
Presenter :
Hasn’t corruption worsened in Ghana under John Mahama?
Osei Mensah Michael :
Corruption is a disease in most third world countries like Ghana. It is a disease in Ghana.
Presenter :
Hasn’t the Governmental measures reduced corruption in the country ?
Osei Mensah Michael :
The question is are those measures applicable in a country where most salaries are just the equivalent of one’s monthly transportation fee or just enough to pay a single school fees for a ward leaving you with nothing for other vital expenditures ? How can one resist the temptations of corruption. Most professional levels are naturally opened to corruption because of that.
One other thing that needs to be corrected are things like real estate deals which needs to be entirely confided into the hands of a notary as it is done in France instead of leaving the beneficiaries to deal with all agents of transactions individually. Things like that can prevent workers of all stages of the process from taking bribes. Also there must be a dynamism to increase salaries to meet daily vital demands.
Presenter :
Is Mahama close to his people ? Does he listen to his people ?
Osei Mensah Michael :
Yes he is close. Yes he listens but he doesn’t always have the means to give them satisfaction. An example is the major energy shortages in the country which has become a standing draw back for our industry and national progress.
Presenter :
What about the cedi. Why does it keep depreciation ? Ghana has lost its leading position on cocoa world market
Osei Mensah Michael :
The cedi which is not an international money is constantly battling against the Euro and the dollar which have the whole world as it’s market whilst the validity of the cedi stops at the four walls of Ghana.
Ghana is the only maket for the cedi. This is the reason for it’s depreciartion, retrogression and incidence on our PIB. Who says currency says market.
Presenter :
So what is the solution. Do you want Ghana to do like Nigeria which has introduced some flexibilty in the Naira.
Osei Mensah Michael :
Flexibily, why not but I think we need to change the cedi for an interrnational currency like the Euro or Dollar ; I take reference on the CFA francs which is an international currency linked to the Former French francs and now to the euro.
Presenter :
Is the Ghanaian entrepreneur progressing ?
Osei Mensah Michael :
I don’t think so because the energy crisis has prevented him on several occasions from manufacturing and also they are demoralized because they have no energy to power their homes and their offices.
Presenter :
How do you solve that.
Osei Mensah Michael :
I want to believe that the Government is working on that because the load shedding disappeared for some time recently. I have been informed of new crisis but this time less severe.
Presenter :
What effect has the Brexit had on Ghana ?
Osei Mensah Michael :
Ghana is now obliged to deal with two different european platforms instead of one. One with the Great Britain which by virtue of colonization has privileged relationships with Ghana and another with the European Union within which Ghana is doing it’s best to get a space of co-operation.
Presenter :
Has Ghana disappointed Great Britain ?
Osei Mensah Michael :
If we look at all our periods of instability and now the corruption, we have first of all disappointed ourselves.
You talked about the Ghanaian Diaspora. I am an demanding the Ghana government to create parliamentary seats and a Ministry for Ghanaians living in foreign lands.
The world has become a global competitive village and we Diasporans have become key strategic agents of development. The Diaspora must therefore not remain an island. The great pool of Talented, Skilled and Patriotic Ghanaian generations lost to Foreign Lands needs to be committed to the course that will drive the nation Ghana forward.
Presenter :
Like several other countries in Africa,
Osei Mensah Michael:
Yes
Presenter :
John Mahama has promised to win this elections. What do you have to say about that ?
Osei Mensah Michael :
If really the president promised that, then I think it is inappropriate. That would mean the incumbent president has won in advance and there would be no need to organise the elections then.
My suggestion is that all presidential candidates must first of everything, promise to repair our capital city and stop it from becoming a death trap for many, anytime we have heavy rainfalls. In 2015 we had over 150 victims and it repeated itself in a lower dimension this 2016.Accra is the head of the body Ghana. If a head is problematic, the rest of the body is in trouble. Governments should address this problem which tarnishes the potentials of our country and our image.
Full video: http://www.africa24tv.com/fr/polititia-ghana-les-enjeux-de-la-presidentielle-de-novembre-2016-160716
