Corruption Is Beatable

Making Authority Tell In Ghana

For many Ghanaians, mention the word corruption and it conjures up sensational thoughts or images of state looting. This does not come as a surprise given how things have played out over the years. The fact that corruption implies wrongdoing is inescapable even in the context where goals veer from their intended paths. Whilst the issues of morality go without saying, things are not that straight cut with their agency. Having said this, corruption is beatable which in Ghana's case is about the reverence of authority particularly in its constitution through people.

For all the good of governance, vigilance or political promises, the results are there for everyone to judge. Evidently, the belief that booting out the 'loot brigade' is all that is necessary is somewhat questioned. Ghana, in any case, views this as a task for the authorities. In the process of bypassing the people, the country has left itself further exposed. Depraved of authority in its most telling form, miscreants, opportunists and criminals are at will to abuse the resources of the state. This thievery is often put down to the 'monetization' of politics but this is too narrow a narrative.

Reading the headlines, it seems like Ghana's battle with corruption has faulted when this is not necessary the case. But the time devoted to 'finger-pointing' and the 'blame-game' when the topic is debated does not brisk that much optimism. Authority, apart from what is set out on paper, is underrated as a signifier to set the 'cat amongst the pigeons'. Even after over two decades of democratisation, Ghana is reeling from the gulf between the people and politicians. This in effect demeans all the authority including laws, codes of ethics and so on at its disposal.

Corruption, by its very nature, institutes additional layers of power parallel to those of the state. These operate behind the scenes in terms of who gets or does not. Additionally, services penned down as 'free' at the point of delivery reposition as cash and carry' enclaves to enrich corrupt officials. Propped-up by a network of beneficiaries, these unauthorised or ill-gotten schemes are nested on a culture of silence, hence, the denial that it is happening. Without adequate prompts, trust in authority is further incapacitated for corruption to be seen as the norm.

Ghana for all its credentials lets itself down with the reality where some live it big whilst the others skirmish over 'pittance'. In the age of information technology, 'known persons' get away with amassing incredible wealth without questions asked. The people's mandate, over the years, has been hijacked by greed on all sides of the political fence with obvious consequences. Blaming the authorities might be a 'cop-out' if one is realistic about the scale of the problem, issues of resourcing and hidden hands at play. But the war on corruption leaves Ghana with 'no-get-out' clauses.

Governments lose no face to be fearful of the people in a stark reminder of the other extreme. The embarrassing pasting of political figures during last year's petition by the Supreme Court Judges for contempt was timely to restore sanity in relation to the authority of the state. Sadly, commentators have not grasped the significance of this moment in particular for ordinary people. Instead, it is the same old 'dead-end' debates with no one prepared to 'rock the boat' over the misconceptions and negative power that have made 'tin-gods' of its politicians.

One way or the other, Ghanaians must levitate authority back onto a proper footing. After all, this is the basis of their government's legitimacy and sense of being. Anything less undermines the state's authority ridiculing all the political noises that Ghana care to make about democracy and so on. Rather than just focus on the 'ballot box', Ghanaians through engagement and participation should push for openness, accountability, probity, transparency and so forth in their bid to halt corruption. It does not matter where this process starts, so long as these principles are kept in perspective.

In its most compelling form, authority is meant to be infallible. The integrity underlying this is critical to make it telling. After all, authority is the only means to ensure that the interests of the citizenry come first. Whilst legal frameworks and the prosecution of corrupt persons can help, Ghanaians must stand and be counted as stakeholders in Ghana's resources and prosperity. Ultimately, uprightness in this endeavour will lead to the breakthrough in terms of the proper posture, stance and sacrifices. Ghana, in turn, can bank on authority to see its war on corruption through to a just conclusion.