Pius Hadzide now epitomizes corruption – Sammy Gyamfi jabs defenceless Hadzide

The National Communication Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has called out Deputy Sports Minister, Pius Enam Hadzide, saying he has no moral authority to discuss issues on corruption.

Mr Gyamfi launched his verbal tirade Tuesday on GHOne TV when he joined Mr Hadzide to discuss the subject of corruption.

It didn’t take too long before Sammy Gyamfi reminded the deputy minister of his role in an Australia Visa scandal that rocked the nation for which he was indicted, albeit later cleared by investigations.

The NDC Communicator told Mr Hadzide that he had no moral rights to talk about the subject, particularly because he had been cited as having indulged in such activities.

Background

Mr Hadzide and the chairperson of the National Sports Authority, Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, were in April 2018, accused of being behind an alleged visa fraud and were subsequently suspended for engaging in visa racketeering at the Commonwealth Games held in Australia.

The duo was accused leading a delegation including some over 50 persons who had claimed to be Ghanaian journalists Australia but who were deported after failing the immigration test.

Sammy Gyamfi’s point

“Look at Pius Hadzide here; he is a locus classicus of corruption under Akufo-Addo. He supports and promotes corruption, that is why Pius after that reckless, irresponsible conduct, can still get the temerity and audacity to come and sit here and talk about corruption, he is evidence, he is a walking case of corruption”.

“In any other country, you’ll be standing prosecution for now. If you are one who had a flicker of hope that the failing fight of corruption could ever be salvaged under President Akufo-Addo, you must lose that hope because see; this is the person who was sent to come and talk about corruption”, he said.

On Mr Hadzide’s suspension and clearance, Mr Gyamfi said:

He as Deputy Sports Minister led a Ghanaian delegation, he was not cleared and will not be cleared. Where is the report that cleared him? He is a public official, he is accountable to the people of the country, he is accountable to the people of this country, we appointed him as Deputy Minister and by virtue of that he was heading the Australian Commonwealth Games Committee, he led a delegate of Ghanaians to Australia.

It was filed up by the Australian authorities that 60 of these Ghanaians were only masquerading as journalists when they were not. He was the leader of that delegation, his own boss, Isaac Asiamah, Minister for Youth and Sports, compiled a report to the President and indicted him as the one responsible for that crime; Visa racketeering.

He was suspended, investigations were conducted into the matter, we are told that he has been exonerated, what is the key elements essential to the fight against corruption, is it not transparency? Don’t we all know that opacity breeds corruption? And so if he has been cleared and there’s evidence to clear him, why can’t that report be published? We have been calling for the publication of this report for months, President Akufo-Addo has turned a blind eye and has turned a deaf ear to that because there is no report.