Building Strong Independent State Investigation Agencies to Fight
Corruption is the Head Way to Exposing Miscreants & Perpetrators.



Constitution without institutions becomes the breeding grounds for corruption and lawlessness. One major canker bedeviling national development is corruption and anytime that word comes to mind it brings to the fore an army of red ants. The effects of the actions of corrupt officials on the people can be compared to those of red ants on wood. These officials eat at the very basement of our future prosperity. 

Corruption they say occurs in secret and its effects are gradual and take long to show. However, when the dysfunction of corruption is exposed, its impact and implication on people are unquantifiable. 

The unseen destructive effects of red ants on wood when they attack the base, show only when the wood crumbles and by that time, little can be done to salvage the wood work. 

Fighting corruption needs strong political will, therefore, it is only through such strong political will that the nation can have vibrant independent and trustworthy institutions like the Police, BNI, NACOB, EOCO and the Judiciary. 

When the U S President, Barack Obama visited the country he left us with a thought-provoking statement about building strong independent institutions. 

This was re-echoed by his Vice President when the U.S government invited some 16 African leaders including President John Mahama, to a lecture on good governance. 

Good governance is not only about freedom of Speech, Association, Peaceful Assembly and others, but also prudently managing the material resources of the people and their taxes. We keep on hearing government incessantly pronouncing the ‘no money syndrome’ in our national kitty and that developmental projects can only be carried out by loans or grants. If for nothing at all, developments on our roads at least, should be exempted. 

This is because billions of Ghana cedis are paid at the various toll booths in the country day in day out. Fighting corruption should not be by word of mouth but strong commitment. 

It has been observed that people in positions of trust suddenly start grabbing properties, buying fat shares, holding big accounts and living flamboyantly. All these people should be investigated. 

After all, how much are they paid, considering their tax returns? Government contracts must be subjected to scrutiny. The nation should set up a public commission of inquiry to review all government contracts and expenditure from the presidency down to the lowest level at the end of the fiscal year to ensure prudent use of the tax payers’ money. 

The Public Accounts Committee’s recommendations should be acted upon swiftly. The revelations from the Brazil 2014 Commission of inquiry calls for many such presidential commissions. The Energy sector, the Ports and toll proceeds should be well investigated. 

The solution therefore is to provide functional preventive measures which will make it less attractive for officials to engage in corrupt practices. Against red ants’ attacks, woodworks are treated with chemicals. 

A suggestion goes to the President in the fight against corruption, to ensure the independence of State security and investigation agencies to act according to the law. Ghana has the best policies in the fight against corruption, yet we are being swallowed up by corrupt practices. Corruption is pervasive and excessive in the eyes and ears of the ordinary citizen and must not be regarded as a mere perception. If the nation heeds to President Barack Obama’s advice and build strong independence institutions free from political manipulations, we can expose the offenders. 

Until there is an independent institution to demand what the Constitution commands, there can be no true justice to punish the excesses of men.




By: Frederick Boadi Kwaning, a Journalist