The mere passage of laws and establishment of institutions without the requisite resources to operate is not an achievement worth boasting of, President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has been told.
Vitus Adaboo Azeem, an anti-corruption campaigner, wants President Akufo-Addo to be a man of action rather than words.
According to him, the President should not equate institution establishment and passing of legislations as an achievement in fighting corruption when there is no action backing his words.
He says Ghanaians are becoming tired of the rhetorics and want action to rid society of corruption.
He mentioned the Office the Special Prosecutor (OSP) as one of the institutions lacking the requisite staff and resources to function since its establishment in 2018.
“There’s no cause for us to be celebrating, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has been set up since 2018, how many staff does it have? Passing laws without giving them the necessary resources to perform, giving them the necessary independence to perform. He shouldn’t be boasting about that.
“It’s not just passing laws, but the teeth to bite. The president should back his words with action, how many of his ministers previously accused of corruption has he sacked? Or brought them for prosecution? There are teething problems that you have not overcome. It’s an old story the president keeps talking about. We are tired of his sayings without action on the ground,” the former Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) said.
Mr. Azeem further criticised the President’s prejudicial comments on the outcome of the investigations involving a former Sanitation and Water Resources minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, who resigned over corruption-related allegations.
“When the minister resigned, what did the president say? That he’s sure she will be exonerated. Was he not pre-empting the outcome of the investigations? If tomorrow the investigation comes, and she has not been found guilty, will Ghanaians believe that investigation?” he asked.
In order for Ghanaians not to lose faith in the President’s commitment to fighting the canker, Mr. Azeem wants him to take concrete steps to fight it, such as sacking ministers accused of wrongdoing and ensuring that anti-corruption agencies have the resources they need to do their job.
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