Seven paramount chiefs of the Nzema Traditional Council have fought off calls for Council of State member, Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh, to resign as the Western Regional representative.
They have lamented the attempts to dent her reputation would go a long way to affect the people of Nzema.
This is because they believe it would end up destroying the businesses she has built which have created jobs and sustained many in the Nzemland.
This comes on the back of allegations of corruption levelled against Madam Asomah-Hinneh by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) due to which pressure has been mounted on her to resign.
The OSP indicated that Madam Asomah-Hinneh engaged in influence-peddling and allegedly used her position as a member of the Council of State and member of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to get a favourable decision from the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), which led to a reduction in the tax liabilities of Labianca Limited.
She has since dismissed the claims, stating she did not engage in any wrongdoing and was not aware of the report of the OSP or its findings.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the chiefs mounted a strong defence that Madam Asomah-Hinneh only took advantage of the customs advance ruling which all persons are entitled to.
The immediate past President of the Nzema Traditional Council, Awualae Angama Tuagyan, spoke on behalf of the chiefs.
“We are concerned about the misguided attempt to introduce a conflict of interest tag based on the re-election of Ms Asomah-Hinneh, Chief Executive Officer of Labianca Limited as the Western Regional representative on the Council of State.
“Even more bizarre is the attempt to assume that her role on the Board of the GPHA means an ability to control and influence decision-making processes at the Ghana Revenue Authority,” he bemoaned.
To them, the OSP in its report failed to establish any evidence of an abuse of power.
“We note after reading the OSP report that the office provided no evidence pointing to influence peddling, which is the use of position or political influence on someone’s behalf in exchange for money or favours. The OSP failed to establish any evidence of the same except to draw a bizarre linkage based on her remote position,” he stated.
They stressed the OSP must be an outfit that operates with facts and truth and not mere assumptions as was done in the report.
“Such an office must be guided by facts and truth. Evidence must be at the centre of its deeds and not feed the public with innuendoes and ambiguities. The OSPs assumption is based on an uninformed view of the Independence of the two professionally run institutions as established by law, and it further takes away from the opportunity available to all businesses to engage same separately,” he claimed.
They have, therefore, threatened to take further action if Madam Asomah-Hinneh is made to resign from her position.
