Anas vs Martin Amidu: The tale of two anti-corruption crusaders

"Hon." Martin comes across to me as somebody who occupies a position and uses privileged information of his former office arbitrarily without due regard to his oath of secrecy.

This portrays him as an embittered personality who is doing everything possible to get back at the government he served. If I were to be asked to choose between "Hon." Martin Amidu and Anas Aremeyaw Anas in respect of their fight against corruption, I would not hesitate in choosing the later.

If Martin was a genuine anti-corruption campaigner, why was he "dead silent" when the news of the judiciary scandal was first broken out. Or was he scheming to come out with these technicalities to frustrate the work of this illustrious son of Ghana?

Most Ghanaians were astonished to the marrow to have learnt of the alleged "naked robberies" of ordinary Ghanaians by some members of the judiciary who are supposed to dispense "justice" without fear or favour.

The revelations shook the very foundation of our judiciary system locally and globally. However, Martin only reactions are rather direct attacks on the integrity of the TIGER EYE PI. This is surprising to many Ghanaians to say the least. Some people have started asking the motives behind this open confrontation with Anas.

Anas and his company have been risking themselves to unearth massive corruption in many institutions including the Judiciary, Smuggling of cocoa, etc. His investigative works are not selective, but cut across regimes and public institutions. That is the reason why Anas' work is highly respected internationally.

He is simply fantastic!! He has taken investigative journalism to unprecedented levels that is proven beneficial to humanity in general. Many young Ghanaians see Anas as their role model who has braced the odds to serve public interest.

However, there are some people with prejudiced minds who only want any investigation on corruption to be fixated on the executive arm of government to earn them some "credibility and political mileage. Corruption must be fought irrespective of the source. If we focus our lenses on the public institutions' corruption for a while, we will be marvelled the magnitude of corruption we will find in those institutions.

In fact, corruption permeates every facets of Ghanaian life and needs to be uprooted by any means practicable. Therefore, TIGER EYE PI investigative works unveiled shocking evidences of massive corruption in the judiciary which hitherto remained mere perception in Ghana.

Clearly, people like "Hon." Martin would want the focus of the fight against corruption to remain on the executive for political gain. Consider the scenario that the exposé' was on the executive, would he have questioned and attacked TIGER EYE PI in the manner he is doing now. To him (Martin), any corruption investigation that is not centred on the executive is not worth our attention and consideration. His recent articles have brought to the fore his hatred against the current government.

I suspect he has been compromising his "so called campaign against corruption" in order to incite "public emotions, minds, perception and judgement" in a manner to achieve his personal vendetta against the executive arm of government for obvious reasons. But he should not expect everybody to adopt his style. After all, the sacking circumstances he emerged with this crusade are still fresh in the minds of many Ghanaians.

Anas is risking his social life and personal security in the fight against corruption and this must be acknowledged and respected by all well-meaning Ghanaians. Therefore, any anti-corruption fighter should not be seen to be against his colleagues who are doing better. As James Keller aptly put it "a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle." These media confrontation is needless and unnecessary.

The recent "epistle" from "Hon." Martin Amidu concerning Anas' investigation of the judiciary leaves many Ghanaians confused as to his real motives. It is out of sheer jealousy or he is seeking personal vendetta? We live to see.

If the TIGER EYE PI has done anything unethical in the view of the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, he should simple let Ghanaians be informed with hard core evidence and stop pandering to his ego and self serving interest.

The fight against corruption needs collaborative effort of all devoid of self-aggrandisement. Please, can you leave the TIGER EYE PI alone to continue the crusade against corruption in Ghana? If we manage to weaken Anas's resolve to fighting corruption, Ghanaians will be the ultimate losers. He should not be cajoled to release any investigative piece, being it in the legislature or executive, to appease self serving people and their ego. Time is always a great story teller.

In all these media confrontations with Anas, the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General has been a bad loser. He has inadvertently "murdered" his own public reputation as an anti-corruption crusader accorded him by Ghanaians.

His brand in the eyes of many Ghanaians has been badly damaged. He promised the public with some evidence, yet he keeps shifting the goal posts against Anas and his company: from government's collaboration, shielding of some judges, bribing, to non registration of the company without compelling reasons.

It is pathetic that a person of his pedigree would lower his standard into making such wild allegations without an iota of prove. All these "false allegations" have given a big blow to his "reputation" and subsequently erode public confidence he earned through his works over the years.

I must not be misinterpreted to mean that Martin did not contribute something in our relentless fight against corruption in Ghana previously, but his latest article against Anas' investigative piece lacks merit and substance. He should leave TIGER EYE PI alone to do their independent work and release any investigative piece(if any) about any arm of government in their own time. Majority of Ghanaians considers Anas Aremeyaw Anas more credible than Hon." Martin Amidu. Soldier on, Anas! You are one of the heroes of our generation.

LONG LIVE ANAS

LONG LIVE GHANA

Alhaji Mustapha Iddrisu

Effiakuma, Takoradi