GHANA IN THE BELLY OF THE WHALE OF CORRUPTION

GHANA IN THE BELLY OF THE WHALE OF CORRUPTION

Corruption is a popular marketable political commodity in Ghana. Political parties in opposition are especially more vociferous about alleged acts of corruption by some elements of the ruling government. While political parties in opposition usually appear to be saints and also offer practical solutions for corruption; ruling governments usually water-down allegations of corruption and also offer political rhetorical solutions for dealing with the canker.

Sadly, both ruling governments and political parties in opposition mostly seek to score political points in terms of efforts against corruption which none of them is better in relation to the canker. Usually, one political party touts itself as being the lesser evil when it comes to corruption but there is no good in evil. There is no wisdom in choosing between two evils since both greater and lesser evils will eventually breed evil outcomes.

Ghana’s performance in the fight against corruption in the last decade has been abysmal. According to the Transparency International’s January 2024 report, Ghana’s performance within the last four (4) years on the global Corruption Perception Index (CPI)  is 0%. Despite a number of political rhetorics in the fight against corruption by the ruling NPP Government, the output of the government is within the margins of 0% and is the worst performance compared to the state of affairs or the prevailing trend in or before 2015..

Like the Biblical Jonah, Ghana has been swallowed by the Whale of Corruption. There is the need for genuine repentance from the high to the low places in Ghana. Corruption is rife in the country because it is tolerated and sometimes even ‘honoured’. The canker has become an attractive instrument for securing political power, facilitating the performance of some public services, securing admission into educational institutions, securing employment and so forth. It, for instance, appears partisan politics has become so attractive in Ghana because of the incidence of corruption associated with it. Why should some political elements or government officials suddenly become affluent only when their political party is in power?

To get out of the belly of the whale of corruption in Ghana, the country needs to adopt more sincere and pragmatic steps. We must move from turning a blind eye to the evils of corruption to blowing the necessary whistles in relation to the canker. Whistle blowers of alleged corrupt acts, which eventually turn out to be true, must also be celebrated,  honoured and protected by the Government of Ghana.

Besides, ruling governments must demonstrate by their actions and inactions that occupying public positions is not a business avenue for embezzling public funds. Governments in power must also be seen to be honestly supporting anti-corruption institutions in their fight against corruption and related offences.

Moreover, the legal regime on corruption should move from being toothless bull-dogs, especially when it comes to politically exposed persons, to wild-bitting dogs which seek to devour all players of corruption. 

Furthermore, the Government of Ghana should prfioritize the passage of a law that seeks to regulate the Conduct of Public Officers in relation to corruption and related matters. Ghana should also be intentional in creating a legal culture which will require people suspected of corruption to explain the source of their wealth in a satisfactory manner with robust evidence or risk criminal sanctions such as confiscation of assets, imprisonment, removal from public office or punitive fines.

The justice system should be reformed or enhanced to ensure speedy prosecution of corruption-related offences or corruption-related cases. Ghana should also consider empowering its citizens to initiate civil actions against public officers involved in alleged corrupt acts, and such officers should be required to prove their innocence after a prima facie evidence (sufficient at first impression) has been established against them.

Richard Obeng Mensah, author  of Daily Wisdom. The writer is an award-winning prolific author of 8 books and over 250 articles on legal and non-legal themes. He is also a pastor, lawyer, law lecturer, certified life and leadership coach and a blogger.

Email: richardobengmensah@gmail.com

Mobile: +233 (0)246 556 774.

Publication History

Authored on 31/01/2024 and published on 31/01/2024 on the author’s blog and other social media platforms.

Acknowledgement

The author appreciates the critiques and valuable comments of his Editorial Team to this write-up.