Ghana Minister Resigns Over Bribery Allegation

President Nana Akufo-Addo on Monday, April 29, 2019 accepted the resignation letter of minister of state at the presidency Rockson Bukari.

Rockson Bukari’s resignation follows a leaked audio tape in which he is heard allegedly trying to suppress the publication of a damning story against a mining firm and a judge in the Upper East Region.

A statement signed by the director of communications at the presidency, Eugene Arhin, indicated Mr. Bukari has resigned and president Akufo-Addo has accepted his resignation.

Bugari in his letter of resignation noted that he resigned “as a matter of principle”, having “exercised judgment contrary to what I have known you to stand for and require of your servants in running this country.”

“The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Monday, 29th April, 2019, accepted the resignation from office of Hon. Rockson Bukari, Minister of State at the Office of the President.

“This was after Hon. Rockson Bukari submitted his letter of resignation to the President on Monday, 29th April, because he had “taken note of the tape circulating in the media”, and had, therefore, taken the decision to resign “in order not to allow the tape to disrupt the focus of government in delivering on its mandate,” parts of the letter read.

Bukari in the leaked tape allegedly attempted to bribe Starr FM journalist, Edeti to kill a story against a judge and a Chinese mining firm when he was Upper East Regional Minister.

He denied the bribery allegation in a statement on Sunday, April 28, insisting he was only intervening.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Minister’s approach by way of pleading with Edeti is typical with his peace-making intervention approach to situations, and in this case, sought to avoid what he was informed was a mis-judgment sought to be projected to hurt the reputation of a retiring judge in the region he had superintended as minister,” a statement from Rockson’s office said.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Ghana’s minister for railway development, Joe Ghartey, had commendably eulogised the Nigeria’s minister for transport, Rotimi Amaechi for his hardworking after the duo went to inspect railway projects and facilities from Lagos to Ibadan.

Ghartey, who was in Nigeria alongside some parliament members from his home country, admitted that even though he works hard, Nigeria’s Amaechi works even harder, and this was evident with the level of work that has been completed within a short period of time.

Speaking with Legit.ng on a train ride from Lagos to project sites in the neighbouring states, the Ghanaian minister confirmed that the Chinese consultants described the former Rivers state governor as a workaholic.