In the year 1992 Ghanaians in a referendum voted overwhelmingly to accept and adopt the tenets of multi-party democracy. And since that time Ghana has come to embrace and adopt the idea of democracy as a way of life.
No wonder our country is seen as a beacon of hope to the many African countries that are striving to consolidate democracy in their respective countries. The preamble of 1992 Constitution stresses on the fact that there should be probity and accountability on the part of people who are appointed to serve Ghanaians.
But most often than not, this has not been the case. Instead, persons who have found their way into public offices have used their positions as launching pads to amass wealth. Such people have included government officials like Ministers of State, Metropolitan/Municipal/District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and their subordinates.
We can cite numerous cases in this country where both government and public officials have used their positions and influence to misappropriate monies meant for developmental projects. That is very sad to say the least! In extreme cases, such funds have been saved in banks outside the four territories of our beloved country. That is how far some of our public officers can go to enrich themselves at the expense of Ghanaians; many of whom are wallowing in abject poverty.
It is in this wise that we at TODAY support the call by the Asantehene Otumfour Osei Tutu that government and public officials alike should do well to abide by the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) which was specifically passed by Parliament to ensure the proper use of state funds and resource.
Whilst the paper supports the call by Otumfour Osei Tutu, we also want to stress on the need for anti-corruption institutions to be strengthened. Such institutions include the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and Serious Fraud office (SFO). In fact, these institutions need to be adequately resourced and not to be made to look like toothless dogs that can bark but cannot bite.
It is high time that we make the laws in our statutory books work ensure that ministers and public office holders remain guided by the principle of probity and accountability.
