Former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Professor Stephen Adei, has passionately called for a tougher stance on corruption, urging the government to elevate grand corruption to a felony offense.
At the 25th anniversary celebration of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), he noted this classification, similar to how crimes like murder are viewed, would impose severe legal consequences and act as a significant deterrent.
“We have to make grand corruption a felony in Ghana and must be treated in the same way as we treat murderers because they do more harm than them,” Prof. Adei emphasized. He was addressing the gathering in Accra on the theme, “Twenty-five Years of Advancing the Vision of a Corruption-Free Ghana: Reflections on the Way Forward.”
Prof. Adei argued that corruption has persistently hindered Ghana’s national development, despite numerous anti-corruption efforts, which he suggested have been insufficient due to a lack of genuine commitment from leadership.
“I personally believe that the major reason corruption seems to be so difficult to tackle is that the leadership of Ghana pays lip service to fighting corruption, but they do not have an iota of interest in fighting this canker,” he asserted.
Prof. Adei went on to challenge Ghanaian leadership to not only refrain from tolerating corruption but to actively address it within their ranks.
“Leadership is cause, everything else is effect, and unless we discover a means to build the part of leadership and make them accountable for not only presiding over a corrupt system, possibly actively participating and at best, acquiescing it, we are not going to go anywhere,” he stated, underscoring the urgency for proactive measures in governance.
Outlining his vision for the next phase of combating corruption, Prof. Adei called for a “much more militant” approach, clarifying that this militancy should come in the form of unwavering dedication, rather than physical aggression.
“The next stage of fighting corruption should be much more militant, not in terms of guns, but with passion and anger because if we do not very soon, this our nation, seeing what is happening to galamsey and the rest, we will have no nation,” he warned. Prof. Adei maintained that without addressing corruption, Ghana would struggle to attain greatness and prosperity.
He also advocated for adopting effective anti-corruption practices from countries like Rwanda, Estonia, Denmark, Brazil, and Singapore, all of which have seen success in fighting corruption. He suggested that Ghana should prioritize digitalization to reduce face-to-face interactions within institutions, a measure he believes could significantly limit opportunities for corruption.
As part of his recommendations, Prof. Adei pushed for enforceable policies requiring open and verifiable asset declarations for all political office holders and senior public servants.
“There must be verifiable and open asset declaration for all political office holders and senior public servants, and this must be, we must give a legal basis for that,” he stated.
Other speakers at the event added their voices to the call for intensified efforts against corruption. Sammy Darko, Director of Strategy, Research and Communication at the Office of the Special Prosecutor, voiced concern over public apathy in the corruption fight. “Did you see the passion and anger with which Ghanaians stood up against LGBTQ? Have you ever seen that passion being used against corruption before, in Ghana? No,” he observed, suggesting that the same fervor should be channeled towards fighting corruption.
In a similar vein, CHRAJ Commissioner Joseph Whittal proposed a reversal of the burden of proof in corruption cases, requiring public officials accused of corruption to prove their innocence rather than the state bearing the burden of proof.
As GII commemorates 25 years of anti-corruption work, Executive Director Mary Addah highlighted the organization’s achievements in promoting transparency and accountability. She credited GII’s advocacy for significant legislative progress, including the 1998 asset declaration and disqualification regime, which has bolstered public sector accountability.
“We have been part of several other landmark legislations including the Right to Information (RTI),” she noted, underscoring GII’s contributions as a critical voice for good governance in Ghana.