Political analyst and senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science of the University of Ghana, Dr. Joshua Jebuntie Zaato, has asserted that the move by the government to establish specialized courts to handle the infractions and cases of alleged corruption in the Auditor General’s Report is a call in the right direction.
Dr. Zaato emphasized that it is one of the “smartest decisions the President has taken to combat corruption in the public sector.”
“It is a smart decision, it is a good decision, and it is a decision whose time has come. So, I want to applaud His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana for this move and for this initiative.”
Dr. Josua Jebuntie Zaato, Political Analyst and Senior Lecturer, University of Ghana
He further stated that the Ghanaian corruption architecture can be viewed in two ways: the one associated with politicians and the one associated with public servants.
He noted that this particular decision on the creation of specialized courts will be best placed to tackle alleged corruption and corruption-related cases involving public servants.
Dr. Zaato explained that when it comes to corruption involving public servants, it is usually not spoken about and made known to the public as compared to corruption involving politicians.
He emphasized that this is the reason why, in most of the cases of alleged corruption and infractions in the Auditor General’s report, public servants are often cited for huge infractions that are mostly surprising to the public.
“When it comes to corruption, politicians are treated differently from public servants. When the corruption or alleged acts of corruption involve the politicians, we raise it high, we maximize it, we exploit it, and we go to every extent to talk about it and to try to bring that person to justice.”
Dr. Josua Jebuntie Zaato, Political Analyst and Senior Lecturer, University of Ghana
He noted that the opponents of the politician involved will always want to score political points out of it and therefore will go to every length to make sure the issue is exposed and the culprit dealt with.
“But when it comes to corruption involving workers, ordinary public servants in the state-owned enterprises, and administrators, we tend not to treat it the same way as we treat those in the public sector. And that is why you have seen these gargantuan amounts of money going to waste.”
Dr. Josua Jebuntie Zaato, Political Analyst and Senior Lecturer, University of Ghana
He noted that these issues of huge infractions and corruption and alleged corruption associated with the Auditor General’s report have now become a cyclical phenomenon, and nothing seems to happen to the officials involved.
“You have seen that over the years we have come to treat the public accounts committee as a football match. We use it as a blame game, and then nothing happens.”
Dr. Josua Jebuntie Zaato, Political Analyst and Senior Lecturer, University of Ghana
Dr. Zaato also cites certain issues like the posturing and utterances of the citizenry that seem to give legitimacy to “the stealing of public servants.”
He noted that many people are inclined to the perception that they should work in places that they can get to “chop,” even though they already know their salary and remuneration structure.
He lamented this situation, querying how such acts have become a part of the Ghanaian public sector such that almost everyone sees it to be normal.
He also explained that one of the reasons contributing to public sector corruption is the overpoliticization of the civil service, especially with respect to state-owned companies.
“We have overpoliticized state-owned enterprises. Everybody just thinks that once my government comes to power, these state-owned enterprises are like a big fat buffet. Let’s just go and eat.”
Dr. Josua Jebuntie Zaato, Political Analyst and Senior Lecturer, University of Ghana
Dr. Zaato emphasized that suspects of corruption have now found a way around the current criminal justice system whereby they often find ways to delay the process, noting that some will always engage in such acts hoping that their party will come to power and discontinue their cases.
He therefore emphasized that the notion of specialized courts is one that can properly deal with corruption in the public service. He, however, emphasized that the politicization of state enterprises must also not be allowed to continue.
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