Corruption: Ghana is #2 in Africa
Ghana’s fight against corruption has been dealt a deadly blow. The corruption perception index by Transparency International (TI) ranked the West African nation the second most corrupt country in Africa behind South Africa. The last time TI published its rankings, Ghana was placed in the 60s. This time around TI’s list of the most corrupt institutions includes the Police and the Presidency, business, government officials and traditional rulers. The judicial service is not excluded further to the recent discoveries by Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
TI’s ranking does not come as a surprise because the so-called fight against corruption seems to be a mere lip service. Government officials who have been found culpable are reposted to the office of the president. Is it not strange that the presidency is among the institutions and government departments found most corrupt? It becomes difficult to absolve the presidency from complicity.
The nation’s laws are blatantly flouted. Persons perceived to be apparatchiks of the ruling party take the law into their hands while law enforcement officials look elsewhere. Political, religious and family connections can earn one a job even if one is not qualified for it.
The fight against corruption should not be left for the government alone. Civil society as well as the general public must all be involved. There is no reason why a citizen has to pay a bribe to obtain a passport, driver’s license or any service. There is a whistleblower’s law but anyone daring enough to blow the whistle is rather victimized. Those in the vanguard in the fight against corruption are deeply involved. The police are always listed as in the corruption index and TI’s citing the law enforcement agency as complicit does not come as strange.
Several nations in the third world and Africa in particular are tearing apart largely because of bribery and corruption. When leaders and institutions that are supposed to show the way are deeply involved in looting the national coffers the likely effect could be disastrous. Burundi is in chaos partly because of corruption. Some people are seeking to cover up their misdeeds through violence.
There is too much emphasis on a select political party and too little coverage on matters of national importance. It is feared that the country’s media is compromised and cannot be said to be neutral in the fight against corrupton.
Hopefully, countries such as Burkina Faso, Lesotho and Senegal are showing the way. Nigeria under Gen. Buhari is also working assiduously to contain the contagion of corruption and Amandla applauds him for that.
Corruption is bad. It stinks and in the parlance of Ayi Kwei Armah in his The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born corruption breeds maggots and vermin and must be uprooted at all cost. Indeed, the beautiful ones are not yet born in Ghana and other corrupt African countries.
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