Vitus Azeem backs calls for an independent body to fight corruption

Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative, Mr Vitus Azeem, has backed the call for an independent commission to combat corruption in Ghana.

According to him, without political will, the fight against corruption would be futile, adding that; “past governments and parliaments have deliberately refused to pass regulations to ensure that some laws are effective in the country.”

Mr Azeem made his sentiments known when he took a seat in the studios of e.tv Ghana during one of its morning shows, Awake.

He said there was there was the need for such a body to be given a prosecutable mandate to tackle corruption in the country.

The call for an independent body to tackle corruption in the country was made by former Commissioner of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Justice Emile Short.

According to the former CHRAJ boss, although there exists an anti-corruption department at the Commission, the lack of man power and resources has made the work of the body inefficient and ineffective.

He, therefore, called for a well equipped independent commission with “an enlarged staff, well paid, well resourced staff.”

Justice Short who also took a turn on Awake to explain further his call disclosed that the staff strength of the Commission stood at about 800 with about 10 people handling the anti-corruption department which is mandated to tackle corruption nationwide.

He also indicated that although there had been calls for an independent prosecutor and Attorney General, the likelihood of it being effective and efficient without support from an independent anti-corruption commission was slim.

He also indicated that there had been occasions when recommendations made by the anti-corruption department were not paid attention to probably because the suspect was a member of the ruling government.

Making his stance, Mr Vitus Azeem noted that the only way that governments could tackle the level of corruption bedeviling the country was for governments to have the will power and commitment to do so.

However, he said, “It does not appear that government has the political will to do so.”

He based his point on the gap which had been left at the Commission after the resignation of the Acting Commissioner, Ms Anna Bossman.

Mr Azeem noted that when governments drag their feet in taking certain bold steps for the betterment of the nation, it goes a long way to frustrate the work of important agencies and bodies such as CHRAJ.

He also called for clear cut legislations which will help fight corruption.

He noted that the lack of certain regulations which go along with certain laws was affecting the operationalism of those laws.

He cited the Asset Declaration law which requires public officials to declare their assets to the auditor general’s department as one of such laws which were not operational in the country due to some loop holes.

Mr Azeem said after the law was passed in 1998, the legislative instrument needed to give the auditor general the prowess to open and publicise the assets were still lying on the table of parliament.

He, therefore, called on government to be committed to the fight against corruption by putting in place the needed laws that would help combat the act in the country.

Jasmine Arku / etvghana.com