EDITORIAL: We Disagree, Hon. Dansua

The Daily Searchlight reported yesterday that the Member of Parliament for North Dayi, Hon. Akua Sena Dansua has advised donor countries and Ghana's financial partners to consider cutting off all financial assistance to the country if it turns out that huge funds belonging to the state have been embezzled.

Hon. Dansua who made this call based on the ongoing revelations at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting in Accra described the level of embezzlement recorded by the Auditor General as shocking and unacceptable.

The state of corruption so far is shocking. Only two ministries have been dealt with. Even we have not finished with the Ministry of Health but at the end of the day you can imagine how much money has gone down the drain. If I were the donors, after this public hearing, if we compare all this amount and if it happens that it is almost comparable to what they gave us or even a quarter of what they are giving us, they should not give us any loans again!â-?, the paper quoted her as saying on Hot FM.

Indeed, looking at the state of embezzlement coming out of the various ministries and departments, one cannot fault the North Dayi MP for her stance. Donor countries are sometimes reluctant to extend a helping hand to African countries because politicians in the continent are perceived to be corrupt. One can cite the cases of the late Mobutu Sese Seko and Sani Abacha, who stole billions of dollars belonging to their poor countries and stashed them away in foreign banks.

Fortunately for us, Ghana has not experienced corruption in such high proportions by our politicians and other public office holders. Latest revelations and extravagant life styles of some of our politicians and public office holders however, point to the fact that we are gradually heading into this bracket of corruption.

We were in this country when a Minister of State blew a whopping ¢100 million cedis on his birthday party. We are yet to hear that the minister, who is no more in office, has spent the same amount on another birthday party.

We are also hearing under the current regime, ministers who have bought or put up huge mansions and acquired other properties which they could not do when their party was in opposition. Some are even donating billions to support presidential candidates without telling Ghanaians the source of the money. During the ongoing revelations, what we are hearing this time round is that, technocrats are reported to have stolen billions of cedis from state coffers through dubious means.

All these things as noted by Hon. Akua Dansua are a source of worry to every Ghanaian.

The Chronicle however thinks that this should not lead to the call on donors not to support Ghana again. Ghana as a developing country has always depended on these partners for development therefore a call to them not to extend assistance to us any more is like saying Ghana does not need development any more. The MP obviously has a case but she seems to be hitting below the belt.

We are sure Hon. Dansua is always confronted with developmental issues in her constituency so how is she going to address her constituents if her call to stop the financial assistance to the country is heeded by the donor countries? The Chronicle would like to advise the lawmaker to use her good offices to bring those looting our coffers to book instead of making such calls. We will be cutting our noses to spite our faces! After all, similar things happened when her party (NDC) was in office, when people openly displayed ill-gotten wealth, yet she did not deem it fit to make such a call.

As stated earlier, The Chronicle is not condemning the honourable lady but the extent to which she went is worrying. What we appeal to her to do is to use the due processes of the law to bring the nation wreckers to book.