Kissi AgyebengCorruption continues to concern Ghanaians. Various political actors have spewed rhetoric about how in their opinions it can be addressed.
Interestingly, these actors when given the mandate to run the affairs of the country failed to do as they promised.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), when it was established, gave hope to many Ghanaians that at last something substantial was going to happen in our quest to reduce to the barest minimum the incidence of corruption.
Nothing has happened to suggest that we are winning the war against corruption.
The posture of the OSP itself has triggered many conversations about its usefulness as an anti-graft entity, the substantial budgetary allocation to the office notwithstanding. Little wonder questions are being posed as to whether to maintain or scrap it.
In recent times, the organisation has done more press conferences than actually fighting corruption.
As we compose this commentary, former CEO of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) Dr. Mustapha Hamid, the media has been told by the Special Prosecutor, is being investigated for extortion.
Many have questioned this approach to fighting corruption. Judging former government officials in the court of public opinion before even heading to the law courts is not the norm in any civilised society where the law rules.
Selective treatment of cases is a breach and speaks volumes about the quality of justice administration in any given society. During the infamous Ablekuma North Constituency election rerun, the Greater Accra Regional Minister was captured on video sharing money to individuals, and when questioned about the anomaly, her response said it all about her indifference to what people think about corruption. Let them who have money also go and buy votes.
We would not agree that the SP has not heard about the action of the regional minister. Is he preparing to invite her for questioning or he won’t because she is a government appointee?
We have heard about some government appointees endorsing the violence which ensued at Ablekuma North Constituency election rerun and weep for this country.
The Minority in Parliament could not have demanded for a better action from the appointing authority when it asked for their dismissal.
Government appointees whose conduct does not inure to the progress of democracy have no business being in office.
The violence has something to do with corruption because the hoodlums hired for the act of infamy were paid by state actors to undertake the mission.
That this shameful act is being supported even by some women in the ruling party underscores how low we have descended on the morality chart.
