Besides power-sharing, accountability is the key factor in any modern democracy, as laid out during the French Revolution, referring to ancient Greek forms of democracy. Some of these early forms had an elected king as absolute monarch with a body of wise men besides him supervising the king during his reign, capable of removing him in cases of power misuse. The assigned elite were able to vote for the next king, not the common people. These elite had an independent, mostly uncorrupted mind, standing in critical observation of the candidates in succession. The Polis was direct and small in numbers compared to modern democracies, and stood in competition with the many states inside Ancient Greece.
Ghana’s Regional Minister for Greater Accra, Ms Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo, as published on Graphic Online on 11/07/2025, made the remarks, „Giving out T&T to voters is not vote-buying. If you think it is, you too go and buy the votes – it’s as simple as that.“ In November 2025, she will hold an international conference in Accra for Entrepreneurship, inviting representatives from established democracies. In Ghana, it is common practice for all parties to hand out gifts, such as rice, sugar, cooking oil, and food items, as well as cars, to high-ranking influencers before elections. These expenditures must be recouped during the term in office.
Sponsoring transportation costs, as Ms. Ocloo suggested, would not be bribery, making Westerners often remind their political parties to visit elderly homes, offering towels or small gifts to gain support. Pens, buttons, balloons, caps, and small paper flags given out during election time to voters in, e.g., Europe or the USA are paid for by anonymous sponsors, known supporters, party membership fees, or from the MP’s private savings. The financial compensation of a German MP in the Bundestag makes him comfortable well above the average income in his constituency. In the past, most German MPs had a professional career before entering parliament, while these days most of them have no track record of personal significant experience or job achievements. From University into Parliament with no graduation certificate or without an education qualification is not surprising any more. Through their status in parliament, they get selected by companies and organizations for higher positions once they leave politics. Lobbyism is a worrying trend, a shadow power ruling the nation of Germany.
In Africa, when politicians leave the seats of power and politically retire, they mostly fall into a dark pit. In Africa, to become rich fast is often by opening a private church or becoming an MP. While Christian words are used or political propaganda is voiced, the bottom line is to become rich and famous due to the lack of alternatives. Rome was not built in a day, but countries like Singapore, South Korea, and Germany are good examples that democracy needs only one generation of 25 years to mature and benefit the nation. Since the 1960s, African democracies started their struggle for independence and ongoing conflicts of ending corruption for political and, therefore, economic gains. Successful democracies have not only included anti-corruption laws into their constitutions and law books but also enforce them daily regardless of status and money. African democracies are busy bodies talking about ending or limiting corruption, but have failed their nations until today.
Former US President Barack Obama, on his state visit to Ghana in the presence of late President Atta Mills at Castle Osu, said: „Africa does not need strong leaders but strong institutions.” Little did he know that institutions are made of people, leaders, and common workers who bring rules and regulations to life. J. Edgar Hoover formed the FBI and made it a strong institution beyond his given mandate to have the Kennedy family in his hands by investigating their performance. The German BND made the Defence Secretary Manfred Wörner fall by presenting fake evidence against General Kiessling.
The very unfortunate remarks by Ms Ocloo make it clear that only the common mind of no corruption from top to bottom of a society brings a mature democracy to light. Humans are weak, but laws can be strong when their wording is correct and their actions are effective.
God bless the homeland, Ghana!
