In The Matter Of “Enemies Of The State…;” Mr. President, You Are Right, But…
OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA
Your Excellency,
I salute you in the name of MOTHER GHANA in whose name we all strive to serve. This is however, my forth letter to you without any acknowledgement. I, in spite of your failure to act on my requests, feel rewarded that I have always made my write-ups open to you, enabling Ghanaians and the global community at large to peruse my communication to you.
Mr. President, permit me to be frank with you, just as you were forthright with Customs and Preventive Service (CEPS) personel when you had reason to address them in Tema on February 4, 2011. You had good course to so act in acknowledgement of the secret filming of some ugly activities that has long been taking place at the Port of Tema . I, indeed, recognize Anas Aremeyao Anas – a PATRIOT of international repute. His latest revealing clip dubbed “ENEMIES OF THE STATE…” is an award-winning masterpiece.
It is his last project that woke you up mid-way in your sleep, skipping to the CEPS Long Room in Tema – allowing your adrenaline to rapture on the officers and men of the Service. You may have been right, but – were you totally JUSTIFIED in this case?
Mr. President, my very first, second and third communications to you, bothered on State organizational acts of MALFEASANCE, for which I called for FORENSIC investigations into such entities like the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Tema Development Corporation and some other areas of concern. As I am addressing you now, nothing has been done to the issues I raised.
In my bitter disappointment, I had course to lodge an official complaint to the “ECONOMIC AND ORGANIZED CRIME OFFICE” per a communication dated January 17, 2011. I am yet to receive a response from that office.
However, my major concern in this intercourse with you is on Anas’ latest discoveries that have set TONGUES of all Ghanaians lashing CEPS. Do not get me wrong, Mr. President, that I am in to defend officers of the Service, but I think we have not been fair to employees of the set-up.
That, is the Service having corrupt officers in it? Yes! There are. But Aremeyao, also points out the fact that POLITICIANS are also partly (if not wholly) to blame for what is obtainable at the Port Of Tema. Your own office, known as the “OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT”, was proportionally mentioned as being part of the problem.
I can confidently state, that pressures that have been on CEPS officers from ‘political heavy weights’ to honour one request or the other, are so surmounting that some officers I know have complained about their frustrations. In fact, the auction sales that Anas high-lighted, are not controlled by CEPS officers but politicians. It is a glaring fact Mr. President, that as soon as the gazette of yet-to-be auctioned containers are released, politicians must have been privy to the contents of such containers and how fast the goods can be sold. The allocation of such containers, are done atop CEPS officers – their duty being to act accordingly. I have fairly known officers who cannot sit in their offices for ten minutes without getting calls from dirty politicians who stoop so low going in for such ‘carved privillages’.
The situation is even murkier when one sees personalities who are in high advisory positions of the political realm, trooping into the offices of CEPS officers, blocking out ‘ants’ of business concerns – and engaging such officers in long conversations. Note that this has been going on for the past decade and beyond.
The question is, how can we embolden these CEPS employees to stand up and tell such dirty politicians in the face that, ‘PLEASE SIR I AM SORRY I CANNOT GRANT YOUR REQUEST’. If the officer knows he can take this PATRIOTIC stance without falling into the ‘pit’ of an ‘immediate transfer’, we can effectively reduce corruption in that sector.
However, Mr. President, if the unpatriotic politician descends on the poor customs officer, using his political power to acquire wealth ILLEGITIMATELY, do you expect the service provider to do him that illegitimate favour and dry himself/herself in the scorching sun?
Aside of this Mr. President, is the question of remuneration. I was shocked to the marrow when told that an officer who has served the CEPS for forty years is given a deep-freezer as parting gift. In addition to this, is one week salary multiplied by the number of years one served. My undertaking revealed that some officers who have retired for the past three, four and five years are still awaiting their benefits to be paid them.
Mr. President, I know the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) suffer such ‘calamities’ in terms of remuneration. I do not consider this to be motivational enough. In fact it is not!
My checks in other areas such as the Bank of Ghana, which is the depository of REVENUE BOBILIZED by revenue mobilizing institutions like the CEPS and IRS, the discriminatory difference is frightening. Whereas a senior officer of the Bank of Ghana is qualified to take a housing loan of about Sixty Thousand Ghana Cedis , a senior officer at CEPS takes about Five Thousand Ghana Cedis for the same purpose. There is not much difference at IRS.
Let’s come to think of it, Mr. President, whether the above bodes well for honesty to prevail in revenue mobilization agencies. As stated earlier, I am not doing this in a bid to defend the officers who were caught in the audio-visual material. I am simply pointing out a major failure of the state. What is happening now is like “if we pretend to be paying, the workers will also pretend to be working” (apologies to Dr. Edward Nasigre Mahamah)
My appeal to you is that much as I appreciate your appeal to the CEPS officers that they should arrest anybody who goes to them using your name, it would still be appreciable if you could get the officers to point out those who have already used your Presidency’s name to transact the alleged dirty businesses. It must be so, because, since you said the CEPS Commissioner has already ordered the arrest of his staff who allegedly involved themselves in the scandal, it would be a fair deal if you order an investigation into those who allegedly used your name.
Let me draw your attention, however, that the institutions under discussion are not the only ones that politicians have taken advantage of. Just before it dawned on me to have this pleasantry with you, I was into a discussion with a mortuary clerk of a state hospital on the same CEPS issue. The fellow told me that it is not only with the CEPS that the politicians would lord themselves on. “Even here, (mortuary) when they have bodies they will call our big men and come for them free”, the clerk stated.
I can go further to state that even road-tolls, until the introduction of the electronic system, the politician would announce his identity, and drive off without paying a dime. I remember sitting in a politician’s car sometime past who behaved in this unpatriotic manner and when I questioned him, he shamelessly pretended not to have heard me.
Mr. President, the commendable effort of Anas cannot be over-emphasized. However, indulge me to ask, Is it the duty of Anas to go about doing what he has assigned himself? What is the use of institutions of STATUTE who are mandated to play these roles? Having damned the CEPS for having corrupt elements amongst them, what message do you have for those institutions responsible for such undertakings who have failed the state? Are they not as guilty as the alleged CEPS officers? Would you still have them glued to their portfolios seats? If Anas leaves Ghana for studies outside, who takes over as Ghana’s WATCH/GUARD role that he has played over the years?
I am sincerely stating my stance with the emotion that is weighing me down, that I am disappointed at the ‘no move taken’ on the issues that I addressed in my earlier letters to you. In that regard, I am left with no option than to attach my complaint to the ECONOMIC and ORGANIZED CRIME OFFICE as an information copy to you, hoping that you would ensure action taken this time round.
Coming back to the CEPS issue, it would beneficial to consider better pay and condition of service for them and other revenue mobilizing agencies to forestall huge losses to the state.
Aside of this, I wish to remind you of good governance that your counterpart, President Obama of the USA spoke of. He said good governance can only work when democratic institutions are proactive in their official engagements.
The Ghana Police Service has a department known as the ECONOMIC CRIME BUREAU. The BUREAU OF NATIONAL INVESTIGATIONS is hugely president. The recently renamed SERIOUS FRAUD OFFICE to now ECONOMIC and ORGANIZED CRIME OFFICE is also there. What initiative have they taken to avert potential organized crime in public institutions?
Mr. President, honestly I do not think I can proceed further; for I am really angry and feel that we are toying with our DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE. The CEPS are not alone. Widen the scope into all areas of public service and you will get to know the rot that is well rooted with us.
I rest my case here, wishing you the best of luck. Thank you.
YOURS, IN THE INTEREST OF MOTHER GHANA.
Camillus Maalneriba-Tia Sakzeesi
E-mail: camillussakzeesi@gmail.com
Tel:0266223333/0249488120
