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Opinions of Sunday, 9 February 2020

Columnist: Joel Savage

So Akufo-Addo, where is the fight against corruption if Ghana is 3rd in the world?

The Ghanaian leader, Nana Akufo-Addo The Ghanaian leader, Nana Akufo-Addo

Ghana is a corrupt country in everything, including the judiciary system and politics; therefore, politicians are restless because they know what happens during elections since there are never free and fair elections in Africa, including Ghana.

A US News report has identified Ghana as the third most corrupt country in the world. Reference: https://bit.ly/38cZ4QO

According to its 2020 ranking, a characterization of 73 countries based on a survey of more than 20,000 citizens of the world and apart from Ghana which occupies the 3rd place, the classification also implies Kenya which comes in 8th position of the most corrupt countries in the world.

Others are Columbia and Mexico, known for its deadly drug cartels. Myanmar, Guatemala, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Bolivia are also in the top 10. Russia, which has been accused of electoral interference and Olympic doping, joined the top 10 this year after ranking number 12 in 2019.

In the report, respondents indicated how closely they relate each country to the term corrupt, the exact meaning of which was left to their own interpretation.

Transparency International, the German-based non-governmental organization defines corruption as the abuse of public power for private gain. The organization's most recent version of its corruption perception index also indicates that the failure to significantly control corruption is escalating a global democracy crisis.

Corruption in Ghana is at its highest peak because it takes place daily, however, it increases significantly when getting close to elections. This is one of the reasons there is always political instability in Ghana, since the suffering masses, including the unemployed outraged over the impact of corruption in the country.

The fight against corruption in Ghana’s administration was one of President Nana Akufo Addo's major priorities but what has he done today? “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”- Abraham Lincoln.

I write without inventing my own words but based on the references of what Akufo Addo himself said. On corruption, during a ceremony at the Flagstaff House (That’s what I know it is called), Nana Akufo Addo said: “While corruption is a thorny issue that permeates every fabric of Ghanaian society, especially the public sector, he believes that it is one of the worst scourges that oppose the development of Ghana.”

Then when the president failed the fight against corruption, including his failure to solving chronic corruption among the members of the NPP, frustrated and embarrassed Akufo Addo, shamefully said, "it is not his job to accuse the innocent or convict officials who engage in corruption."

According to President Akufo Addo, "all cases of corruption in his government will follow due process to determine whether the officials involved are guilty or not." Oh yes, Nana Akufo Addo, this is one of the reasons you appointed the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu to do that job.

Yet, you were so scared that he will bring out corrupt NPP officials, which will affect the party’s future in elections, therefore, you sat on the neck of the man to prevent him to do his job. If the common Ghanaians you starved at home can’t see, the honest Ghanaians living outside the country know about your ‘Politricks.’

In fact, Akufo Addo, all those attacking me for speaking the truth or any time I write an article about you are wasting their time, since the articles are based on what you say but never did or about your failures. Once provoked, I get the message to repeat similar articles because the truth is bitter than the bile.

It's also necessary to add to this article that, in reality, you often see many deleted comments under my articles, only one or two are genuine, the rest of the names are from one person.

Yes, I mean a frustrated angry, tribalistic enemy full of hate, who wants everyone to believe that the article I wrote has generated 10 negative comments but the fact is the different names are from only one person. I believe intelligent Ghanaians know that too.

There is a time for everything, Mr. President, my only fear is before Ghanaians will realize how bad you are as a leader or how corrupt both NDC and NPP political parties are, then it’s too late.

Nothing can bring a change to the doomed economy of Ghana because the impact of continuous abuse of power and corruption will destroy the economy beyond remedy.