Former Auditor General Daniel Domelevo has highlighted the obstacles impeding the country’s quest to attain a corruption-free system.
According to him, despite possessing institutions and capable personnel, the crucial missing link is effective leadership in the fight against corruption.
Mr. Domelevo underscored the significant role leadership plays in setting the tone for anti-corruption efforts. He argued that strong leadership sends signals throughout the system, influencing the approach to tackling corruption.
Drawing a parallel to Singapore’s successful anti-corruption campaign led by Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Domelevo emphasized the need to address corruption at its roots, targeting top officials responsible for wasting, stealing, and mismanaging public funds.
“We’re holding the bull by its tail. We are looking for small flies to use as examples in our fight against corruption, instead of holding the top officials accountable,” he said.
Expressing concern over the demobilisation of the Office of the Auditor-General, Mr. Domelevo attributed the decline in effectiveness to actions taken against him by the President.
He suggested that the fear instilled in personnel hinders them from pursuing public officials, as they are apprehensive about potential repercussions similar to what he experienced.
Mr. Domelevo also commented on the less-than-optimal performance of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, citing frequent political interference as a hindrance to its functionality.
“The environment and the frequent political interference do not allow [the Office of the Special Prosecutor] to function the way that it should,” he said on Tuesday.
Ghana made no progress in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index, which ranks Ghana as 70th out of 180 countries in terms of corruption. Scoring 43 out of a possible 100, this has been the same score since 2020.
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