Member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communication Team, Alfred Thompson, has linked Ghana’s persistent revenue leakages and corruption scandals to weak work ethics within the public sector, warning that the lack of diligence and commitment among some government employees continues to create fertile ground for misconduct and inefficiency.
Speaking on recent developments surrounding the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) deal, Mr. Thompson lamented that Ghana’s institutions were suffering because public servants fail to take ownership of their responsibilities.
“When people go to work, they take it as, ‘this is government work, so I do not need to put in my best effort.’ If people were doing their work well, I do not think or believe that we’d need someone from outside to come and plug in to correct or check all these leakages and revenue assurance scandals”
Alfred Thompson, NPP Communications Team Member
“I don’t blame anyone for these revenue leakages but ourselves,” he said, stressing that the culture of indiscipline and nonchalance among workers was the root cause of most revenue scandals, not necessarily the absence of oversight systems or external contractors.
If everyone was taking his job seriously and doing it very well, there wouldn’t be leakages” Mr. Thompson added, maintaining that Ghana will continue to depend on external firms and consultants if the public service fails to demonstrate competence and integrity.
His comments come as the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) findings from its intense investigations into the controversial GRA-SML revenue assurance contract led President John Dramani Mahama to terminate the deal.
The case has triggered widespread concern over alleged corruption, procurement breaches, and inflated costs.
The OSP has summoned key officials, including the GRA Commissioner-General, Anthony Sarpong, Assistant Commissioner for Finance, Celestine Annan, and Technical Assistant to the Commissioner-General, Kenneth Agyei-Duah, to assist with the ongoing probe.
This follows the arrest of Freeman Sarbah, Acting Head of Legal Affairs at the GRA, for alleged corruption and obstruction of justice. According to the OSP, preliminary findings point to possible corruption, abuse of office, and procurement violations in the contract’s award and execution.
Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng has hinted that several individuals, including former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and two former GRA Commissioner-Generals, could face prosecution before the end of November 2025.
The GRA-SML deal, which mandated SML Ghana to provide revenue assurance services in the petroleum and other sectors, has been under public scrutiny since its inception, with critics accusing officials of inflating costs and bypassing procurement laws.
Galamsey as a Security Threat
Alfred Thompson also raised alarm over the escalating violence associated with the fight against illegal mining, describing it as a pressing national security concern that demands urgent presidential attention.
“It is really becoming sad that we can’t fight galamsey, and to me, it is a national security issue. The people who will fight it are the ones who are being fought. So you ask yourself, are we safe as a country? We are in trouble. Seriously, we should all be scared for ourselves”
Alfred Thompson, NPP Communications Team Member
He appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to take decisive steps to restore order and reinforce the security response to the illegal mining crisis, noting that the stability of the country depends on how swiftly the issue is addressed.
“He has about only three years remaining, and he has to leave a legacy. If he is the only one who can change the course of this dire situation in the country, he should do so. Where are we heading? Because if we are not careful as a country, we will be in trouble very soon”
Alfred Thompson, NPP Communications Team Member
His warning followed a recent violent attack on the Director of Operations of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and his team at Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region. The NAIMOS officials were ambushed while intercepting illegal miners operating near Bronikrom.
Preliminary police findings revealed that the team had arrested several suspects and seized exhibits, including a Smith & Wesson pistol, ammunition, two pistol magazines, an unregistered Range Rover, an unregistered Toyota RAV4, and multiple mobile phones.
In response, the Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has directed the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to take over the case and conduct a full investigation into the assault.
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah also issued an official statement, noting that the government views the incident as a major affront to its renewed commitment to ending galamsey and will see to it that the culprits are brought to book.
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