The immediate past Director-General of the Ghana Health Service and presidential aspirant of the Convention People's Party (CPP), Professor Agyeman Badu-Akosa has described the claim by politicians that declaring their assets would help curb corruption as a total hoax as far as it is not made public.
"I will like politicians, their family members and close allies to publicly declare their assets because there is the likelihood that they will hide behind somebody and loot the nation," he said.
Prof. Akosa, who was speaking in an interview with The Enquirer in Accra said in as much as some politicians are prepared to declare their assets before coming to office, they must be prepared to publicly declare such assets when they leave office. He said it is equally important to romp public and civil servants into the assets declaration exercise since they are equally guilty of corruption as the politicians. Prof. Akosa, who described corruption as "white collar crime", said it is important to make people have high stakes in whatever they do thus putting fear in them that they will lose everything when they are caught indulging in corruption.
He was of the belief that corruption will be minimized if the president shows exemplary leadership in the fight against the canker. He added that it is imperative that the president summons his ministers at least every three months to account for their stewardship. He observed that there are a lot of laws on corruption in the country but their enforcement is the problem. "Law enforcement as far as corruption is concerned is the bane of Ghanaians and I will go all out to save that situation," he said. He said it is equally important to place public and civil servants on decent retirement and pension conditions since they would shun corrupt practices with such quality conditions.
"Civil and public servants are likely not to engage in unhealthy practices for the fear of loosing all the better conditions they have toiled for," he added. He said that his trump card for the fight against corruption would be leadership by example under which he would be just and transparent. On the assertion that he was part of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, Prof. Akosa said it was unfortunate that such assertion was making the rounds. "I have never been part of the NPP administration because I was never called from the castle to take up an appointment but rather worked as a public servant," he said. He explained that the position he held was not a political appointment but a competitive job offer which was advertised in the newspapers. "I applied with three others and got the job", he added.
Prof. Akosa on his presidential ambition told the paper that he was motivated by problems he encountered when he was the D-G of the GHS because he had the chance of travelling throughout the country. "During such trips, I even wondered if politicians ever existed in the country because the people were wallowing in abject poverty," he said. He said that he realized that the politicians were always deceiving the people for their mandate only to shirk their responsibility and leave them to their fate. "It is pathetic to see vast portions of Ghanaian lands full of weeds and yet the country is said to be an agricultural one. I strongly believe that Ghanaians don't eat weeds and that something must be done to the weeds," he added. "The current situation Ghanaians find themselves in, is not dignified enough and the trend must be changed for the better. Eight out of ten school going children do not get into the universities. Something must be done and that is why I am in the race.”
He said that the country's politicians are currently doing nothing better because they say things but refuse to put them on paper to help move the nation forward. On his chances of getting the nod as the CPP flag-bearer, Prof Akosa, told The Enquirer that his message has gone down well with the delegates and that he was sure of victory. "I have toured almost all the regions and met with the stakeholders of the CPP and strongly feel that something good will happen at the end of the congress," he said.
He said leaders of the country could no longer dilly-dally with the destiny of Ghanaians that is why it is important to give him the nod. Touching on the CPP as a political entity, Prof. Akosa said it was only a political novice who would underrate the party in the 2008 elections. "Other political parties can underestimate the CPP at their own peril because the party is well poised to take up the country's leadership mantle," he said. He said the CPP is a sleeping giant and would be fully awake to pull a surprise on the other parties.
