The Executive Director of Ghana Integrity Initiative, Linda Ofori–Kwafo, has expressed the need for government to resource the Office of the Special Prosecutor to fight against corruption.
According to her, the move will bode well for the country if implemented and would help save a lot of money for the country. She indicated that resourcing the OSP means protecting monies that the country could get from an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.
“You need to resource the SP. The SP’s own institutional framework has been designed to be able to even help us make money. If I can put it that bluntly; to help us to save money. When you look at the section 66 or so of the OSP Act, that actually says that when they recover stolen wealth, they’re supposed to give a percentage to the consolidated fund, the SP’s office takes about 30% or so, Attorney-General’s office targets about 10%, then 10% would go to whistleblowing persons or institutions that help in the recovery.”
Linda Ofori–Kwafo
The Executive Director of GII explained that the country would have accrued some huge sums of monies had the government resourced the Office of the Special Prosecutor and developed mechanisms to fight corruption. She equally highlighted that the situation would get worse should the country continue on the same trajectory.
Her comments followed an increase in corruption activities revealed in the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International.
Transparency International in its 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), reports that Ghana ranks 72 out of 180 countries. In response to the rating, experts believe that dubious activities in the public sector are responsible for such a decline.
Due to this, there have been persistent calls for a change in the 1992 Constitution which is believed to have in many ways contributed to corrupt activities. The concern is that it gives too much power and discretion to the President.
Fighting corruption in Ghana
Meanwhile, Madam Ofori-Kwafo has bemoaned the extent of corruption in the country. She revealed that corruption has been normalized in Ghana and as a result, efforts being made by the Office of the Special Prosecutor to fight corruption do not reflect in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI).
Madam Ofori-Kwafo expressed that the normalization of corruption is causing people to lose trust in the country’s institutions and government. She further noted that if stringent measures are not taken to curb corrupt practices, the nation will be headed for doom.
“People are losing trust in the government that actually came on the back of fighting corruption.”
Linda Ofori–Kwafo
On his part, the Tamale North legislator, Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini, blamed the corrupt nature of Ghanaians on some cultural practices. He stated that the reason Ghana’s fight against corruption seems to be futile is not solely because of politicians. He contends that the failure is also attributable to the way Ghanaians are socialized.
For this reason, Mr Suhuyini highlighted that it is needful for some Ghanaian cultural practices to be reviewed in order to successfully and effectively curb corruption in the country. He referenced a popular Akan adage, ‘Yɛde nam n’eyi nam,’ which roughly translates to ‘fish is harvested with fish’.
To emphasise his point, the Tamale North legislator cited an additional saying that goes, ‘everybody dey chop for in work side’, which means that every person benefits from their work.
He pointed out that the aforementioned saying is another cliché regarded to be normal and for that reason it’s used by most people as justification for their corrupt way of life.
Based on these examples cited, the politician is of the view that the reason no government has been able to find an ultimate solution to corruption is due to these beliefs.
“This is reflected in how since independence, we have changed government either through the ballot or through the bullet, for the same reason, yet we are still battling without any solution.”
Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini,
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