President Mills And The Fight Against Corruption---The Anas Wahala

The president was touted as an incorruptible gentleman in his early days in office even by an opposition stalwart. These accolades are beginning to wane by the exposures of the ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas. However, I can assure you Mr President weep not; you can still win the battle.

One does not need a binocular lens to understand the mood of the number one chief executive officer of Ghana when he paid a surprise visit to the Tema Port after watching the Anas’ video. He was trembling with anguish and pain for being betrayed by his own men eroding the steady but droplets gains they are making. The president even retorted, why could’nt my own security network produce such a wonderful masterpiece for me to be used in checking or better still downsizing corruption. This explains the level of corruption in the Ghanaian society which is comparable to the pervasive syndrome of getting rich quicker which has never been questioned by society but rather celebrated instead.

Mr President you have every right to have been highly upset about the dealings in the Tema Port, but that only constitute a molecule of the problem. The real collateral damage is usually done on paper where over and under invoicing has now become ubiquitous in the ministries, departments and agencies which cannot be captured on tape.

I now understand why the customs excise and preventive service (CEPS) was highly elated for occupying a central position in the newly established Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). The president in his finest and infinite wisdom as a former chief revenue officer saw the need to bring all the revenue agencies under a single canopy, yet these efforts are continuously defeated by his own men. The high ranking and supervising officers of the service should not be exonerated in this Anas expose’.

I wish to cordially entreat the president to seek answers to the reasons why the Ghana immigration service and the ministry of foreign affairs were on a collusion cause as to which of them is billed to issue biometric passports. Mr President, if cameras could get to the inner perimeters of these offices you would have been appalled by the rot in the system.

The legal cost of producing a biometric passport is Ghc 50 but clients often end up paying Ghc200 and even sometimes more for the passport. The issue of middle men in every business transaction in Ghana is a worrying phenomenon giving the opportunity to fraudsters to embolden themselves in perpetuating the most wanton illegalities we face every day.

Mr President, tackling the problem transcends the declaration of assets and the massive transfers witnessed lately. It hinges on institutional dysfunctionalism coupled with attitudinal and behavioural abnormalities. Your Excellency, I can assure you the task is herculean but drop your tears not, you have a fallback; civil society and the media alike is solidly behind you in exposing corruption and corrupt officials.

This gallant fight will be incomplete Mr President if nothing is done to stop the bleeding that is imperceptible yet often expose by the auditor general’s report annually. People that are indicted by this report are usually seen walking about beating their chests leaving poverty stricken students like the writer who cannot boast of three square meals a day to suffocate with nausea. As you rightly said, it is unpardonable for pupils to be receiving formal education under trees in the twenty first century, travelling several kilometers to access healthcare, drink untreated water and a host of others.

Let me tell you Mr President, anything that will epitomize the civil disobedience that is currently sweeping across the North African region in Ghana will stem from these unresolved corruption issues. Look at the levels of unemployment specifically graduate unemployment, it is very alarming and yet people in leadership are busily bagging the meager resources. Anas Aremeyaw Anas is a hero and Mr President, your very demeanor is a complete disaffection for corruption that explains the emotional discomfort that greeted you at the break of the “Enemies of the Nation” wahala. David A. Banamini Kaleo-Wa, UW/R