The IGP over the weekend demonstrated a great commitment to
fight corruption as news trickled in of the dismissal and mass transfer of the
entire Sunyani MTTU on grounds of corruption.
The notoriety of the Ghana Police in matters of corruption
have transcended public perception unto factual.
Barely a week ago, the Ghana Integrity initiative under the
auspices of the Transparency International released an index on corruption
within public institutions of which the Police by its reputation emerged as
topmost; defending champions at an umpteenth time.
A state is marked as failed if it is unable to undertake conscious
efforts at muting corrupt undertones to the barest minimum. In effect,
investors shun such countries. Underdevelopment and unemployment hike instead.
It is in this light that we hail the effort of the IGP -Mohammed
Alhassan for the courageous initiative purposed at purging the Police service
off corrupt officers. Moreover, the ‘house – cleaning’ exercise should be
extended to the hinterlands on equal effect.
It is sad however
that the other institutions of state that were equally indicted have since the
release of the corruption index remained silent perhaps as tacit
acknowledgement of the report and its findings.
The fight against corruption requires a firm political will
from elected public officials. Ironically, the Political Parties expected to
lead the crusade against corruption were ranked second to the Police Service
making the fight against corruption a ‘dead subject’. It therefore wouldn't be a doubt that the role
of government officials in the Waterville fraud saga, the Woyome impasse, etc
was key factors to such ranking.
The chief Justice, notwithstanding the intermittent sanctioning
of corrupt Judges must intensify the crusade against its corrupt officials so
as to skip such negative rating in the future.
Society's role in the perpetuation of this canker is also worth
a note as persons in a quest to gain personal advantage seduce public officials
unto corrupt sins.
Basic of the rules in the fight against corruption has been “the
giver and the receiver of bribe are all guilty”. It therefore is imperative
that public officials not be blamed alone for corrupt practice although society
expects some level of professionalism from them.
Members of society must equally be ready to accept responsibility
for violations and not tempt nor yield to the tendency of bribery.
~ atiemo
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