Of Probity, Integrity and Accountability - A vision lost

?ZANETOR!

Of Probity, Integrity and Accountability - A vision lost

It is said that in the last moments of a man’s life on earth, they see their entire life flash in their face and they see everything from birth to that moment facing death. This mini movie of the dying person’s life includes the good, the bad and ugly! The country has a cancer and if a cure is not found sooner, she will die and what would be in her mini movie? What would be the one regrettable thing she could have taken care of that could have turned things around and avoided her present circumstance? Corruption! Of the country’s 57 years as a sovereign nation, it’s gone through so much mismanagement, incompetence, lawlessness and corruption not to mention underdevelopment, lack of properly equipped hospitals and schools. Yet government officials including presidents have acquired immense personal wealth and unperturbed at the degeneration of the country and the plight of ordinary Ghanaians. One notable policy that if achieved its aim could have saved this current situation is – agree or not – the PNDC’s era policy of Probity, Integrity and Accountability (PIA). Anyone who is old enough to remember Rawlings’ speeches in the PNDC/NDC era would have heard him repeat PIA several times.

When Mr. Rawlings and co devised the PIA, its essence was to make people accountable and promote integrity among public office holders and in the event one was found wanting, a probe was to be conducted and the individual or group were held accountable for their malfeasance. Whatever punishment was meted out to these culprits would have served as a deterrent to others. This was a laudable and fine idea in itself but the mode of implementation then, many found to be excessive and seems not to have achieved its aim. It also did not exactly apply to members of that regime. They had a vision to clean up the country and make life better for the ordinary Ghanaian. Comparing the state of corruption in the last twenty years, one would consider those deemed corrupt then as saints.

The young Chairman Rawlings and co had an Utopian society in mind which never materializes anywhere anyway, except in the kingdom of God! He had given a unique name to his first daughter which carried his hatred for corruption one year before his first coup in 1979. Unfortunately his intention to rid the country off corruption led to excesses that some Ghanaians continually dislike him for. People were whipped for having two toilet bowls in their homes! But he had cheerleaders among the people and well liked by many.

Coup d'états have succeeded coups and democratic government after another and the culture of throwing away everything from the previous regimes, be it projects, ideas, policies has brought the country to its current state of disrepute. There are people with legitimate reasons for their ‘hatred’ of certain politicians which is alright but those who do it for mere political reasons are part of the decadence plaguing the country. These political heads may be all that but they had fine ideas which might not have been implemented properly or did not materialize. Succeeding governments could make use of such ideas and policies if they could let go of partisanship and implement some to move the country forward. Perhaps, most succeeding governments even lack the foresight to even envision long-term gains of these policies and projects. What else could account for such gross negligence and incompetence? The good book says “Where there is no vision, the people perish: …” and what is plaguing most Ghanaian politicians than a basic lack of knowledge and vision? Since the leaders lack vision and knowledge, it follows that the people will accordingly perish.

As long as the electorate keeps voting vultures and other birds of prey into office without any accountability, the cycle of excessive and broad-day robbery of State coffers will be never-ending. Because of greed and lack of empathy, harmful products are allowed on the market without any checks, foreigners buy lands they shouldn't own (instead of leasing), contracts are given to incorrigible and inept contractors who do substandard work and get away with it.

PIA is capable of straightening crooked leadership and public officials. They will be more respectful and serve the people right. It is said in public and many private conversations that the easiest way out of poverty these days is to get into politics. Why? Because looting and draining national coffers is punishable by a high social status and monetary cushion for life. There used to be complaints of too many older folks and old faces in political office. The late Prof. Atta Mills injected new and fresh young faces into cabinet positions and what impact have they had on the country so far? These young men and women turned out to be emotionally immature, inept and broad-daylight robbers of national coffers; worst than the older men and women citizens got fed up with. It was the same quest for a younger president that brought John Mahama into NDC’s top list of possible presidential candidature in the late ’90’s thereon. And as for President Mahama, only time will tell if all the allegations of corruption against him personally are true. Even if it is proven together with all the young ministers and cabinet members will still walk away free with their new found wealth.

When the NPP came into power in 2001, one of their first agenda was to try and imprison all previous NDC officials they deemed corrupt aka causing financial loss to the country. Truly, some NDC ministers were sent to jail. This shouldn't have stopped. The NPP were equally or even worse offenders and got away with it because the late Prof did not want to pay an eye for an eye. This is where the late beloved Prof. erred. This issue is not personal to apply religious morality and principle to love ‘enemies’ and cankerworms in the country. These corrupt leaders hurt ordinary and poor rural folks and impede development of the country. Yet every one of these corrupt individuals profess they will dine with the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. In case they've forgotten, corruption=greed+wickedness=sin=going through smaller than the eye of a needle=divine judgment. Most of these gluttonous politicians claim to be religious – Muslim, Christian, etc! But there is hardly any religion that encourages GREED. Even God uses PIA to judge humanity or there wouldn't be talks of a Judgment Day and Hell.

In countries like Japan, corrupt officials commit suicide when they believe they have been exposed because they know what awaits them. Most western politicians and leaders go to jail for corruption. However, Ghanaian government and other public officials loot coffers and keep getting away with it. Stealing from the people and high levels of dissatisfaction is what leads to coups, civil strife and wars in most countries. Ghana has done well in not resulting to war like other countries even though conditions for such have been ripe time and again. That Ghanaians are mostly peaceful doesn't mean it can’t happen ever. The corruption check shouldn't stop with looting but extend to people collecting bribes before issuing transcripts, passports, licenses, etc.

It’s about time Ghanaians wake up and demand Probity, Integrity and Accountability from public officials and succeeding governments. It is quite tolerable when an outsider is the enemy, but to think that one of your own willfully impedes progress and causes untold hardship is highly intolerable. The looting has gone on for far too long and must come to an end! The dark clouds hanging over the country must clear! The darkness must stop -ÈZANETOR! This is what Rawlings intended and assuming he carried out that vision, and succeeding governments carried it on, this country would have been prosperous or at least better than the current state. Ghana has a huge potential of making it to middle income status or better with the right leadership and a real commitment to cutting down on corruption.

By Abby Larson.