Corruption: Beyond Perception Polemics (2)

 

Our politics is becoming very toxic in recent times, and we fear it might even get ‘cancerous’. The general election is about ten months away, that is if the Jean Mensa-led EC spares us a change in voting date, but it looks like a few days away.

The opposition, it appears, is tired of remaining on the sidelines of national affairs for almost eight years now. The opposition leader and flagbearer of the NDC, John Mahama is on the prowl like a wounded lion looking for prey.

In this case, the NDC is on a ruthless effort to wrest power from the NPP, albeit without any clear-cut policies but holding in its hands a litany of what John Mahama perceives to be equal or more than the failures of his government that led to his humiliating defeat in December 2016.

There must be some standards in the way we conduct our national politics so that the players don’t get away with propaganda and lies.

Whatever the challenges, whoever emerges winner of the December election requires the unity, peace and integrity of the Republic. Let us battle it out at the polls and leave the decision to the people.

For this, we urge all the players, especially the opposition to desist from the campaign of scandal mongering. The facts and data must back the claim that government appointees are corrupt to fuel the Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

Can the Auditor General or Government Statistician or whoever, put the expenditure of the government from 2009 to 2024 to make the debate more informed?

Let us fight over how to achieve the prudent use of public money; we should always behave like the cocks who can engage in bloody fights without ‘touching’ their eyes.

Listen to some commentators who have described the payment to the failed Black Stars in Cote d’Ivoire as loot, although they do not have such evidence.

It is just wild claims to make the government look corrupt. It is not only some individuals who are guilty, but a state institution such as the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), which described Madam Cecilia Abena Dapaah as corrupt when no court of law has so established.

Some travel and transport (T&T) payments to political party delegates are described by OSP as corrupt practices.

The Fourth Estate, a media group, says the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) deal is corrupt when that has not been established.

The enigmatic politician, Kennedy Agyapong, accuses Minister of Works and Housing, Asenso-Boakye, of selling judges bunglows when the facts are far from that claim.

The Speaker too, the last time, said his bungalow was nearly sold but officials of the Lands Commission debunk the claim.

We support any efforts to break the back of corruption, especially in the public space, but we should desist from name-calling.

We are sure the latest CPI is a campaign weapon for the NDC, but they know nothing would change under their watch. It must be a collective fight, and we must build on the gains chalked up so far, and be vigilant to expose the nation’s wreckers.

The fight against corruption is everybody’s call not just for the duty bearers, or the appointees of the ruling NPP. If we were to do a lifestyle audit now, very few people would pass the test.

That kind of lifestyle does not depict a people hungry to end corruption. This is a national crusade that must not be left for the government.

Nonetheless, President Akufo-Addo must provide the leadership, and the fight would yield better results. This is an election year, and we urge the electorate to be on guard to expose politicians who would want to engage in mere polemics about corruption.

Let us hold whoever comes to the table to talk about corruption to provide data, and about how they hope to deal with the canker.

We should not allow them to confuse us with fine language without indicating strategies to lift us out of the corruption quagmire.

 

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