Former Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Vitus Azeem, has criticised President Nana Akufo-Addo’s comment on the fight against corruption.
President Akufo-Addo said his government has taken the boldest of initiatives against the menace since Ghana attained independence.
But Mr. Azeem said the President needs to do more than just pass laws and set up institutions.
He pointed to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, which has been in existence since 2018 but has been hampered by a lack of resources and staff.
“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 seriously 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”.
Azeem also criticised the President for pre-empting the outcome of the investigation into former Minister of Sanitation Cecilia Dapaah, who resigned amid allegations of corruption.
“When the minister resigned, what did the President say? That he’s sure she will be exonerated,” Azeem said. “Was he not pre-empting the outcome of the investigations? If tomorrow the investigation comes, and he has not been found guilty, will Ghanaians believe that investigation?”
Azeem called on President Akufo-Addo to take concrete steps to fight corruption and ensure that anti-corruption agencies have the needed resources to do their job.
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