Lack of sanctions increasing public sector corruption - Manu

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• Akwasi Nyame Adom 8 years ago

  Ghanaians are in this mess because our laws are not working. The bus stops with the President.

  Ghanaians are in this mess because our laws are not working. The bus stops with the President.

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• HONOURABLE 8 years ago

  For the first time i will be very content addressing a very rare situation in Ghana in which a Ghanaian MP have been consistent in his stance against corruption.It is a paradox of a statement why because most of our parliamen ...
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  For the first time i will be very content addressing a very rare situation in Ghana in which a Ghanaian MP have been consistent in his stance against corruption.It is a paradox of a statement why because most of our parliamentarians are filthy corrupt and irresponsible.All the do is to go about chasing young ladies including peoples wives,building mansions and buying flushy cars for them.When MPs come out complaining about being poorly remunerated i find it extremely funny knowing they are one of the highly paid group of public servants.A specialist Physician or Surgeon who work 24 hours round the clock and a university professor are not paid Gh.C7,500.00 a month.We are not evening talking about other allowances and emoluments for MPs which exceed far more than the Gh.C7,500.00 as salary.Yet all that they do is to rather use their wealth and power to bully and oppress the citizenry who voted them into power instead of promoting and protecting their interest as selected representatives.I fully agree with honorable Manu that political commitment and will is imperative in fighting corruption.But parliament which is an important arm of government have an over side responsibility in checking the executive arm of government headed by the president.Unfortunately,Ghana's parliament is extremely weak and shambolic with an irresponsible and corrupt leadership.I do agree with many who make the argument that you don't need high qualification to be an MP.But in my view you certainly need parliamentarians of integrity with nationalistic and patriotic feeling and a certain level of knowledge to ensure effective governance.Ghana's parliament is a bizarre spectacle akin to a business establishment in which elected members to the august house are solely interested in making money and maximizing profit through dubious and scandalous deals.How does it happen?It happens in connivance with government functionaries and the executive arm of governance in collision with top public servants as an organize crime syndicate of high personalities to fleece the nation.It is therefore extremely difficult to sanction public officials in corruption scandals because it usually involve corruption politicians in the two arms of governance of executive and legislature.The corruption web is complex and sophisticated in the sense that a number of legislators from the majority side are ministers of state conniving with corrupt top civil servants to defraud the state with impunity.Unfortunately a corrupt minority in parliament do not have the wherewithal both in number and conscience with the moral integrity to expose and push for prosecution of corrupt public officials because they are also involved in the game of looting and bribery to suppress corruption cases.It is extremely difficult for government to exercise political will and commitment in isolating and prosecuting corrupt public officials because it is a syndicate involving high profile politicians in both the legislative and executive arm of government.Prosecuting public officials by government will be tantamount to government setting its own beard ablaze with a blazing matches.To the extent that civil servants are dismissed to cover corruption with knowledge of government speak volumes about the extent of the corruption canker in which a culture of silence and fear is deliberately induced to maintain its sanctity.It is not for nothing most corrupt public officials who have embezzled huge sums of public funds are walking around free enjoying their stolen booty at the expense of the hard working tax payer untouched.We need a paradigm shift in this country in the contest of the contemporary Ghanaian politician who is selfless,genuinely ready to serve his people with a patriotic and nationalistic feeling rather than the selfish ,avid greed of amassing personal wealth.Fighting corruption in this country ultimately must be a top to bottom approach beginning with politicians and government functions who fleece the nation in connivance with top public servants.The only way to achieve this is to enact and compulsory enforce serious anti-graft laws.The problem is that the legislative just like the executive are extremely reluctant and lackadaisical in enforcing these laws even if available because they will be caught in the web as well.Even when prosecution is open they find a way of killing it off by influencing the decision of the judiciary to pervert justice as in the case of Wayome.That is why the National Anti-corruption Action Plan is being dilly- dally with.Our so-called donor partners like the IMF and the World Bank are reluctant in helping enforce stern anti-graft measures because they are direct beneficiary of the by-product of corruption in Africa in general and Ghana specifically.If the west have deliberate policies targeting graft in Ghana we will certainly have economic freedom without having to go to the IMF or the World Bank with a cup in hand begging because this country is extremely wealthy but corruption by those supposed to manage our resources is the primary, cardinal factor reaping the citizenry and impoverishing us.

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