Don’t let party colours determine corruption fight – Citizen Watch urges
The Citizen Watch, a think tank, is urging the Akufo-Addo-led government not to only prosecute officials of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration who are found culpable of corrupt activities while in government but to deal with anyone engaged in corrupt activities.
“It is time for us to drop the party colours and work for Ghana by protecting the public purse. We should not pick and choose but rather prosecute anyone found culpable in corrupt activities,” said Francis Mensah, Convener of Citizen Watch, in a statement issued in Accra.
In recent times, there have been so many alleged corrupt cases leveled against some government official in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration which have been referred to investigative bodies like the Commission for Human rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Economic and Organise Crime Office (EOCO) but according to the Citizen Watch this is not enough.
“We are saying that those found culpable, their properties should be confiscated by the state and should be sold to defray the losses they incurred while in office adding that the approach of fighting corruption should go beyond interdicting and resignation.
“We know the President is doing his best to stem the speed corruption in the country but we think this is not enough and we are asking him to step up his game in this direction,” the statement said.
According to the statement, Citizen Watch is asking the government to establish a body that would monitor and scrutinise the work of investigative bodies like the CHRAJ and EOCO.
The statement asked, “who monitors or scrutinises the work of these investigative bodies to see if they are doing the right thing or not?”
It added: “We are human beings and things are bound to happen but the way you handle them is what makes you a leader. That is why we are saying that the President’s approach to transparency should be furthered.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has suspended the Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), Adjenim Boateng Adjei, over allegations of corruption and conflict of interest and referred the allegations involving conflict of interest to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and those relating to potential acts of corruption to the Office of Special Prosecutor for their prompt action.
The corruption claims came in an investigative documentary conducted by Manasseh Azure Awuni, titled “Contracts for Sale.”
Additionally, the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, directed the chief executive officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Emmanuel Sin-nyet Asigri, to resign.
This follows a petition brought to the attention of Chief of Staff regarding a questionable procurement procedure which the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has been called in to investigate.
The president’s action or swift response to these corruptions could be graded as satisfactory but there is more room for improvement, it said.
The statement also called on the government for the quick implementation of the Right To Information (RTI) law to deepen the democracy and development of Ghana.
The statement reiterated that the Citizen Watch will continue to play its watchdog role for the development of the nation.
“We would give praises where it is due and also criticise when the need be,” Citizen Watch says.