Batidam resigns; describes AU Advisory Board as corrupt

Member of the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption Daniel Batidam has resigned citing persistent corruption in the organization.

Mr. Batidam in a resignation letter dated June 8, said “after witnessing several instances and degrees of bad governance, including the abuse of entrusted power (or corruption), lack of probity, accountability, transparency and integrity at the Secretariat of the AUABC and some Departments of the AU Commission itself for over a period of three years now, while efforts at seeking redress have yielded no results, I have decided on grounds of principle that enougah is enough.”

Batidam, who served as the former anti-corruption advisor of the former President of Ghana, John Mahama, in an interview with Starr News said the issues he raised in resignation letter were not addressed when his letter was accepted.

According to him, corruption is endemic in the body expected to advise African countries on corruption issues.

“There are times, when you decide to cope with what is happening but at a time, you just have to be bold and say enough is enough. That is what I have done. Looking at the way things were going, we petitioned the relevant organs within the AU but we didn’t see any change and I thought I had to move on,” Mr. Batidam told Francis Abban on Morning Starr Wednesday.

Mr. Batidam added “tendering in my resignation, I thought I will be called to provide evidence for the reasons listed. Honestly, the letter was just accepted without questions.”

Mr. Batidam was elected twice to serve on the Board in January 2015 for a term of two years and again in January 2017 to serve for a second term of another two years in line with Article 22 of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption.