Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra)
2 November 2009
editorial
Accra — The International image of Ghana was seriously battered when news broke out that some Ministers who served in the Rawlings government allegedly took bribes from Mabey and Johnson, a United Kingdom-based construction firm. Surely, this news came as an embarrassment to former President Rawlings in particular, since he has been at the forefront of fighting and speaking against corruption in the country.
The Chronicle is, therefore, not surprised with the warning coming from Mr. Rawlings to all Ministers and other government appointees not to indulge in corrupt practices that would undermine the confidence that the people of Ghana have in the Atta Mills government.
Corruption can never be eliminated from the society, however, it can be minimized and that is why we support the call by former President Rawlings to all serving Ministers to stay clear of the corruption canker and to reduce it in the country.
Any country with a pervasive level of corruption would undermine the efforts of government in achieving development and growth. The case of The Democratic Republic of Congo can be cited as an example.
The late Mobutu Sese Seko at a point in time was richer than his own country (DR Congo) as a result of corrupt practices. The same applies to the late Sani Abacha of Nigeria, who also stole billions of dollars belonging to his country and stashed them in foreign banks, when millions of Nigerians were wallowing in abject poverty.
While the former Ministers who were accused in the Mabey and Johnson bribery scandal take steps to clear their good names, we want to caution from President Mills, right down to the ordinary man on the streets, that we all have a duty to ensure that the country is not subjected to such international humiliation again, as it happened in the Mabey and Johnson case.
Presdent Mills must be seen to be prosecuting his agenda against corruption by handing over his Ministers who have been accused of corruption to the security agencies for the law to take its course.
During the reign of former President Rawlings, some of his Ministers were found guilty of corrupt practices by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), but he issued a white paper to clear all of them. Today, however, the same Mr. Rawlings is pontificating about corruption.
For us at The Chronicle we seek forgiviness for him, and hope that his advice to the current Mills government about corruption will be taken serious. Whilst he advises the Ministers in the current government, we also hope he would similarly advise President Mills not to follow in his footsteps.
The whip ought to be cracked on any public servant found to have engaged in courruption. The laws and institutions of state against corruption must be made to work no matter who is found guilty.
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