Freddie Blay, the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has voiced his displeasure with the public uproar that the late former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie nicknamed Sir John's Will has sparked.
Sir John's Will, which includes a long list of 75 goods such as residences, property parcels, bank accounts, investments, businesses, firearms, and clothing, has been scrutinized extensively.
It has also sparked popular outrage after it was revealed that he owned property in the Achimota Forest and the Sakumono Ramsar region.
However, Mr Blay claims that the deceased was a well-known figure, and that assuming he earned fortune through political service is unjust to him.
"It's been misinterpreted and overblown." Sir John is someone I've known for a long time; he's my age. He is a lawyer who has worked in a variety of settings and owned a few enterprises.
"I'm not sure how he got his assets, but I'm not going to suggest he got everything in two years." So we shouldn't use this to criticise Sir John," he remarked at a press conference during the weekend's Western Regional election.
Similarly, Mr Blay emphasized that Ghanaians should not jump to conclusions that it was a corrupt conduct by politicians, particularly the NPP government.
"Let's see what we can come up with." It has, thankfully, been made public. It's all part of our anti-corruption campaign. Why not, if he did obtain them illegally? Allow the axe to fall on him, but don't make it appear that this is the NPP's anti-corruption slogan. No. He cautioned, "It is not so."
Meanwhile, he encouraged everyone to show caution because the alleged Will is being investigated.
"An investigation into what it is has begun. Perhaps Sir John acquired some of the land that was handed to the [Owoo family].
"It's not that he went looking for a job as the former CEO of the Forestry Commission."
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