The former Auditor-General of the Republic of Ghana, Daniel Yaw Domelevo has shed light on the challenges hindering Ghana’s progress towards a corruption-free system.
Despite Ghana possessing institutions and capable personnel, Mr Domelevo emphasised that the crucial missing link is effective leadership in the fight against corruption.
He argued that strong leadership sets the tone for anti-corruption efforts, citing the successful example of Singapore’s campaign led by Lee Kuan Yew.
Mr Domelevo stressed the need to address corruption at its roots by targeting top officials responsible for wasting, stealing, and mismanaging public funds.
Drawing a parallel to Singapore’s approach, he criticized Ghana’s tendency to focus on small-scale examples rather than holding high-ranking officials accountable.
“We’re holding the bull by its tail. We are looking for small flies to use as examples in our fight against corruption, instead of holding the top officials accountable”
Daniel Yaw Domelevo
Furthermore, the former Auditor-General, Mr Daniel Yaw Domelovo expressed concern over the demobilization of the Office of the Auditor-General, attributing its decline in effectiveness to actions taken against him by the President.
He further recounted the fear instilled in personnel as a major obstacle, hindering them from pursuing public officials due to potential repercussions.
Mr Domelevo’s commenting on the work of the Special Prosecutor argued that the office faced frequent political interference which has ultimately impeded its functionality.
“The environment and the frequent political interference do not allow [the Office of the Special Prosecutor] to function the way that it should”
Daniel Yaw Domelevo
Meanwhile, renowned Ghanaian policy advocate and founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has called for a united front in the fight against grand corruption by urging the Special Prosecutor and the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) to collaborate effectively.
Mr Cudjoe highlighted the critical need for synergy between these key anti-corruption agencies, emphasizing the challenges they face in comparison to the resourceful and elusive suspects they pursue.
Expressing concern over the apparent resource and reach disparity, Mr Cudjoe underscored the importance of a concerted effort to bridge the gap and further urged the Special Prosecutor and EOCO to pool their resources, expertise, and intelligence to enhance their effectiveness in tackling corruption at both grand and petty levels.
The founding President of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education also asserted that citizen involvement is paramount in the fight against corruption and thus called on the public to remain vigilant and proactive in identifying and reporting patterns of public fund misappropriation.
According to him, citizens play a pivotal role as watchdogs and should not hesitate to expose instances of corruption when observed.
Ghana’s stagnant position in the Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking 70th out of 180 countries with a score of 43 since 2020, reflects the urgent need for reform.
To address these issues and improve the county’s standing in future reports, the country must undertake major reforms and pursue robust anti-corruption measures in order to address the monster of corruption in its governance and public administration.
For instance, political leadership particularly the executive President must commit to eradicating corruption by implementing strict accountability measures for high-ranking officials to set a precedent for ethical behaviour among political officeholders.
Again, as already emphasized by the Ghana Integrity Initiative, the local Chapter of Transparency International, the government must ensure that institutions like the Office of the Auditor-General and the Special Prosecutor operate independently, free from political interference and also afford them the necessary resources and support to enhance their effectiveness in the discharge of their respective duties.
Moreover, as reiterated by the Ghana Integrity Initiative the government must establish robust mechanisms to protect whistleblowers who expose corruption to encourage individuals to come forward without fear of reprisal in uncovering corruption at various levels in the country.
Among other things, the government in collaboration with the judicial service must provide an environment that would ensure an independent judiciary capable of delivering swift and fair judgments on corruption cases to serve as a deterrent and enhance public trust in the legal system.
By adopting these measures, Ghana can pave the way for a more transparent, accountable, and corruption-free system.
It is without doubt that the collective efforts of the government, citizens, and institutions are crucial for achieving sustainable progress and improving the country’s standing in future Corruption Perception Index reports.
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