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Never mind the grumbling and shrilling, just go after the corrupt officials

10Akufo Addo The Special Prosecutor Bill aimed at bringing corrupt persons to book is currently in parliament

Wed, 13 Sep 2017 Source: Kwaku Badu

Truth be told, the spate of corruption in the country has become extremely worrisome. In fact, the inexplicable crescendo of criminalities cannot be allowed to pass without commenting.

Isn’t it true that due to the corrupt public official’s criminal intent, the innocent citizens end up experiencing economic hardships, starvation, depression, emotional labour and squalor, which more often than not, send them to their early graves?

And, in so far as the greedy and corrupt public officials are persistently left off the hook, I dare state that Ghana may sink deeper and deeper into the mire.

How long can we continue to defend and shield the extremely corrupt public officials who obviously do not have the nation at heart?

Apparently, many observers hold a strong view that Ghana’s current economic meltdown emanated from the alleged unbridled sleazes and gargantuan corruptions which were perpetrated by the officials of the outgone NDC administration.

The sceptics insist that Ex-President Mahama and his government’s dreadful errors in judgement and alleged corrupt practices culminated in excessive public spending, less efficient tax system , needless high public deficit and destabilization of national budgets, heightened capital flight and the creation of perverse incentives that stimulate income-seeking rather than productive activities.

Despite the fierce attacks by the diehard supporters of the NDC Party, I have relentlessly criticised the erstwhile NDC administration for failing to curb the sleazes and corruptions which somehow brought massive economic meltdown.

In fact, I have maintained all along that the NDC Party lost the 2016 election due to the unbridled sleazes and corruptions which nonetheless destabilised Ghana’s macroeconomic indicators.

Somehow, my long held conviction, which appears to many observers as an isolated thinker’s thought process, has nonetheless been reinforced by the Transparency International’s 2016 Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

It says that the NDC Party lost the election largely due to the rampant sleazes and corruptions.

“In countries like Ghana, which is the second worst decliner in the 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index in Africa, the dissatisfaction of citizens with the government’s corruption record was reflected in their voting at the polls.

“Despite being a model for stability in the region, Ghana, together with another six African countries, has significantly declined. The rampant corruption in Ghana led citizens to voice their frustrations through the election, resulting in an incumbent president losing for the first time in Ghana’s history (CPI 2016).”

In fact, the suggestions by some sceptics that the NPP government has collapsed, or is collapsing the economy in barely eight months into office are somewhat fallacious, so to speak.

Let us however be honest, and rightly so, the NPP government could not have messed up Ghana’s economy in just a little over eight months into office.

The fact however remains that the outgone NDC government’s awful errors in judgement and the alleged corrupt practices brought about the huge economic meltdown.

In fact, I could not agree more with those who insist that investigations and prosecutions have unnecessarily delayed.

Indeed, I share the aggrieved patriots sentiments that it should not only take a Special Prosecutor to investigate and prosecute the alleged criminals as we already have mandated institutions.

Of course, the arrival of the Special Prosecutor will, arguably, remain one of the greatest accomplishments of President Akufo-Addo’s administration.

Indeed, it will be gratifying to witness the Special Prosecutor exerting dint of effort and retrieving most of the stolen monies in the last few years, which obviously collapsed Ghana’s economy.

Yes, the Special Prosecutor will legally go after the greedy politicians and other public servants who have shamefully stolen from the national purse.

And who says that the suspects and their apologists would not grumble and shrill over the Special Prosecutor’s lawful and routine interrogations?

Whatever the case, there should be no mercy for the wrong doers. Just ignore their needless witch-hunting rendition and claw-back all the stolen monies which were meant for development.

Columnist: Kwaku Badu
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