Akufo-Addo’s Daughter On The Run

PRESIDENT Nana Akufo-Addo’s daughter, Edwina Nana Dokua Akufo-Addo, has claimed innocence in the matter of her alleged involvement in the BOSTGATE scandal.

In a statement that was released over the weekend, she repudiated allegations that she is deeply involved in the questionable sale of 5million litres of contaminated fuel by the Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transport Company, Alfred Obeng Boateng.

“I have done no business with BOST or its MD Alfred Obeng Boateng, and can therefore not be described as “deeply involved,”” she stated in the statement which is dated 9th July, 2017.

Ms Edwina being alleged to be, “deeply involved” in BOSTGATE was a speculation by Sammy Gyamfi, a member of the Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s Communication team.

“I’m hearing rumours that one of Akufo Addo’s daughters, Edwina, is deeply involved in the matter so is it the reasons why he is silent? This BOST issue can’t be swept under the carpet looking at its gargantuan nature. This is not a matter the president should be silent about,” Mr. Gyamfi had said on Accra based Asempa FM on Friday.

He had also wondered whether the involvement of the President’s daughter was the reason the President had maintained deafening silence on the scandal.

“Isn’t it surprising and striking to all that the President of this country is silent on this gargantuan fraudulent corruption issue at BOST? The president should break his silence on this matter because it is huge and can’t be overlooked. We should ask the Presidency why.”

However, in her denial, Edwina Akufo-Addo makes the claim that she had no involvement whatsoever, be it proximately or remotely, to any of the characters involved in the scandal.

“I wish to state categorically that this allegation is false. I have no such involvement in this matter. I have no relationship with any of the two companies, Movempiina Energy and Zupoil, that have been mentioned and have admitted to having been involved in the transaction of the said off-spec product.

“If I may stress, I have never had any interaction with any of the two companies involved or any personalities connected with these two companies.

“I have no business in the petroleum sector, either upstream or downstream, and have no commercial interest with BOST, Movenpiina, Zupoil.”

The President’s daughter then went on to throw political punches, accusing the opposition NDC of deliberately tagging her with the scandal as part of attempts to soil the image of her father, the President.

She also demanded a retraction of the allegation about her involvement in the scandal.

I demand an unconditional andf immediate retraction of story, and I hope this brings full clarity on this matter as far as the “rumours” involving my name is concerned.”

The rumours about the involvement of the President’s daughter in the scandal started filtering into the media from last week Monday, but remained too sketchy to explore until Sammy Gyamfi’s broach on Friday.

The President’s daughter’s denial of involvement re-focuses attention on Alfred Obeng Boateng and why he decided to sell 5million litres of contaminated fuel to Movenpiina, a company whose rrots allegedly lead to himself and his business partner.

Ken Agyapong, Assin Central MP, has suggested that Movenpiina is one of 800 companies owned by NPP members that have been pestering the BOST MD for contracts ever since Akufo-Addo became President.

Following a spiral of the scandal, the Energy Ministry constituted a committee to look into the issue. Strangely however, before the committee would start work, two member agencies of the committee, National Security and the BNI, surprised everybody with a supposed report from an investigation that they had conducted on the blind side of everybody.

The report which exonerated the BOST MD of wrongdoing has since been pooh-poohed for its porosity by the public, with Civil Society Organizations calling for fresh investigation.

A pressure group, Deeply Concerned Ghanaians (DCG), has since also called on the President to open a presidential inquiry into the scandal. It was while all these issues were playing out that the President’s own daughter came up for mention in connection with the scandal.

Edwina Nana Dokua Akufo-Addo has however denied that her fingers are deep in the smelly pie.

Edwina, one of the five daughters of Akufo-Addo, was suspected to be the reason her father, the President, had ignored the festering scandal which is at least two weeks old now.

Some observers have also stretched her influence on the scandal to former President Jerry Rawlings, who has uncharacteristically remained silent on the scandal, even though he is a known preacher of probity and accountability. Ms Akufo-Addo was once linked to President Rawlings’ son, Kimathy Rawlings, as a love interest.

Edwina is sister to Yeboakua Akufo-Addo, Phaedra Akufo-Addo, Valerie Obaze and Gyankroma Akufo-Addo.

Gyankroma serves on the Creative Arts Council as a member after her father appointed her as such earlier in the year.

Republic newspaper