We can only fight corruption with bipartisan groups – Vitus Azeem

Anti-Corruption Campaigner, Vitus Azeem has suggested a way Ghana can win its fight against the country’s deep-rooted and institutionalized corruption.

He believes the country can adopt the best practices which have been effective in other countries, especially the use of “bipartisan groups for appointments into anti-corruption institutions”.

According to him, such appointments will solely be merit-based.

“Because these heads belong to no political parties, it’ll be difficult for them to suffer interference”.

Vitus Azeem argues this can only be made possible if some constitutional amendments are made.

He gave this alternative to fighting corruption because he believes President Akufo-Addo’s commitment to the fight is unsatisfactory.

“His actions are not that of an individual who pledged to fight corruption. It is sad he interfered in the work of an independent body and such an action is against the constitution. He has interfered in the fight against corruption and the work of the Auditor General, Daniel Yaw Domelovo. The President refused to heed to advice when he set off on the wrong path and has acted with impunity against the law”.

On his authority, the bipartisan group, when set up will limit the President’s power and prevent him from sharing that power with his party.

Reacting to the President firing Daniel Yaw Domelevo as Auditor-General in an interview with Don Kwabena Prah on Happy98.9FM’s Epa Hoa Daben political talk show, Vitus Azeem said, “The President has the hiring power but although he has no firing power, he took advantage of that in the case of Domelovo”.

Ghana’s embattled Auditor General Daniel Yaw Domelevo ended his 167-day compulsory leave and was expected to be back at work, on Tuesday, March 2, but he was hit with an accusation by the Audit Service board that he falsified his date of birth and nationality.

After these accusations were made, President Akufo-Addo officially retired the Auditor-General, Daniel Yao Domelevo.

Portions of a letter signed by Nana Asante Bediatuo, the Secretary to the President read, “The attention of the President of the Republic has been drawn to records and documents made available to this Office by the Audit Service, that indicate that your date of birth is June 1, 1960 and that in accordance with article 199 (1) of the Constitution, your date of retirement as Auditor-General was June 1, 2020″.

By extension, therefore, “the President is of the view that you have formally left office.”