Kofi Bentil,
the Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, has bemoaned the government’s
approach for fighting corruption and questioned approaches towards amidst
concerns is not inspiring confidence in real gains being made.
“Although the president while in opposition
promised to use the Anas Aremeyaw Anas method to fight corruption, the refrain
has changed because the Anas method brings you graphic evidence in fighting
corruption.
“We have
zero of that promise. I think it is kind of thing that excites us and gives a
sense we are doing something to fight corruption, complaints by the Office of the
Special Prosecutor about not having logistics to work is not complementary to
the government.
“The government must do more to fight the
perception of its officials being corrupt, you are dealing with corruption
perception and the citizenry are saying the government is not doing well, these
are the institutions supposed to be doing the work, you must do it, be seen to
be doing it because that is what governance is and that is how perception is
formed,” Mr Bentil lamented.
Dr Kojo Asante, a Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana, revealed that some civil society organisations had written to the president suggesting innovate ways of dealing with corruption.
In October
this year, retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice S.A Brobbey, requested that the
government expedite the provisions of logistics for the Office of the Special
Prosecutor, his concern was after Martin Amidu, the Special Prosecutor,
publicly criticised the government for failing to provide the needed logistics
to make his work easier.
At a National Audit Forum organised by the Ghana
Audit Service, Mr Amidu vented his frustrations, which had held him back from
delivering on his mandate, citing lack of Legislative Instrument to give teeth
to his office to bite, among others and indicated that he had no Legislative
Instrument to operate with but uses common sense.
The most recent survey on corruption perception release by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) Ghana found majority of the citizenry saying corruption was on the rise. -myjoyonline.com