Bravo Newly Appointed Controller And Accountant-General

I read from your famous ghanaweb news featured on October 19, 2005 and captioned “Another Scandal Exposed”. I would prefer the title read “A Step in the Right Direction”. Many a time big people in government have feigned the absence of corruption in Ghana and that people who have evidence of corruption should come out and prove it if what I read from this august website is correct. While I appreciate what the present government has done especially the latitude of freedom given us to air our views without fear or favor, which use to be non existent in some time past, I believe it will be naïve on the part of any individual in Ghana to paint the picture that all is well and that there is no corruption in Ghana.

Corruption is every where even here in the United States, but I believe a society is judged by the way they perceive or tolerate this canker or vice which destroys nations wherever it is allowed to breed. Every patriotic Ghanaian knows that there is corruption almost in every facet of life in Ghana. Some police personnel who patrol our roads take bribes from offending drivers, some custom officers at our borders, Some Headmasters doing admissions, some Judges at the courts; the list can go on and on. You go to an office to seek information or request some service and they will tell you to put “weight” on your request. Your refusal to cooperate with your extortionist will cost you time and money. The sad thing is that if you attempt to correct the system, you become a lonely voice in the wilderness because corruption has become part and parcel of our daily lives. I will not elaborate on this issue that much since every serious-minded person in Ghana knows what I am talking about.

It is in the light of the above, that I was happy to read about the newly appointed Accountant-General who is said to be only 3 months on the job and has been on the move to flash out the bad nuts from the system “The Controller and Accountant-General, Mr. Christian Tetteh Sottie, who launched the current onslaught on fraudulent practices within the department upon his appointment three months ago, confirmed the latest catch in an interview with the Graphic yesterday”. October 19, 2005, Ghanaweb. This is the type of people we want in government.

Politicians should not see these moves as affront to their governments or parties but instead moves proving that they are serious stewards of the peoples' money. It is not their weakness, it is rather their strength. It portrays that they abhor anti vices and that is why they are flashing out the bad nuts. In almost every institution in Ghana some Accountants have created the impression that accounting can be equated to robbery. Much as we cry foul about arm robbery let us not use the pen to steal the peoples' money.

Ghana has the potential to prosper. We have both human and abundant natural resources given freely by God but sadly enough our leaders seem to have failed us. Leadership is critical to development. They chart paths for us to follow. We need God fearing, honest and industrious leaders who will sacrifice their lives on the altar of love for the down-trodden in society to move our country forward. I live in the U.S. right now and I know my email will be flooded with a lot of bashing for being unpatriotic by virtue of my being part of the brain drain as happened in year 2003 when I wrote about my experience at the SSNIT office when I was in Ghana, “Personal Observation in Ghana By: Kennedy, Peter k., (2003-12-31)”. Retrieved from Archived Articles. Thanks Ghanaweb. Two wrongs do not make right.

In any case, what I want to say is that we need the caliber of people like Mr. Teteh who can lead a crusade against corruption without which our development will tarry for a long haul. I know people like Tetteh Will face opposition from numerous quarters, but I pray that we all throw our weight behind him so that this will not be the last time we hear about his leadership prowess. God bless Ghana. Thanks Ghanaweb Peter K Oppong, Boston Massachusetts.U.S.A.