Revelations of alleged massive fraud at the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in a $72 million contract; and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) in another $74 million contract; have dealt a fatal blow to the so-called fight against corruption and exposed it for the hoax that it is. Public sector corruption in Ghana is endemic, entrenched and institutionalised with successive governments providing cover.
According grapevine sources, this is just the beginning of the revelations, which make me persuaded beyond measure that the duopoly cannot fight corruption, and that ought to make every Ghanaian who votes to maintain the duopoly to deeply regret their actions and resolve never to commit the sin of voting the duopoly to power again. Never again!
SSNIT Scandal:
Facts about the SSNIT scandal are well documented and in the public domain. It has dominated media headlines for over a week and still raging. I have been looking forward to government position on the matter to no avail. The current governing board of the nation’s mother pension organisation has forwarded the contract to an independent auditing firm to review and advise.
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) which claims to be investigating the scandal has made the headlines for recommending the interdiction of the head of SNNIT’s Management Information Systems, Caleb Kwaku Afaglo, for allegedly securing his job with fake academic qualifications.
The previous governing boards, directors general and of course managers of the project such as Caleb Afaglo under whose watch the scandal occurred cannot just be accused of causing financial loss to the state and called upon to defend themselves in the court of public opinion. They have a right to be heard in a competent court of law. Just as the state has the right to confront them with the allegations in the same court of law.
Vehicle of Fraud:
Details of the scandal about how pensioners’ monies are alleged to have been stolen must strike fear into the hearts of pensioners and contributors who are looking forward to retiring to a good pension package. Clearly, there is and has never been anything “Social Security,” “National Insurance” or “Trust” about SSNIT. This organisation has since time immemorial been a vehicle of fraud. Scandal upon scandals, repeated investigative reports, serial findings of wrong doings etc., has been the character of SSNIT.
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice need not wait any further. Each and every participant in the alleged crime should be brought before court to clear their name or face the consequences for their actions.
Local Government Scandal:
I have always maintained that our local government system has been deliberately left the way it is, by the duopoly because it facilitates fraud through bulk procurement of goods and services. In the Local government scandal which is also well documented with details in the public domain, the Ministry with the help of the Office of the previous President signed the $72 million agreement for the bulk procurement of waste bins and their liners for the Municipal, Metropolitan and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
It has turned out that the MMDAs did not need these waste bins as they had more than enough to go round the Assemblies. Media reports indicate that the prices of the bins that were not needed; had as a matter of fact been inflated in the sale and purchase agreement. Like the SSNIT scandal, those who committed the state to this expenditure, causing financial loss to the state are well known.
The A-G and Minister of Justice must not wait for anyone to push her to action. These revelations are heart-breaking and something must be seen to be done about them on behalf of the state and the people by those mandated so to do. These prosecutions must never be about “Mahama appointees.” It must be holding people accountable for their actions while in public office.
Policy questions:
Should the culture of the head of state appointing chairpersons and members of public boards and corporations be allowed to continue? Who is the SSNIT board answerable to? Were the former DGs of SSNIT answerable to the board or to someone beyond the board? Why are all the non-institutional representatives of the previous and current boards, particularly the chairpersons; members of the ruling party? Does this relationship between and among DGs, board members, party in power and the presidency not present conflict of interest without remedy? How could the management pay for what the board had not approved?
As regards the Local Government scandal, the good governance issues of decentralisation, responsiveness to local area priorities and accountabilities are thrown up again for settlement. If the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives were elected by people in the local authority areas, would it be possible for the Ministry and Presidency to buy waste bins in bulk at allegedly inflated prices to share among MMDAs that did not need them?
Have these issues come up and gained currency because of change in government? If the Mahama government had retained power in the last elections, would these issues have come up? And if they did would the accused be prosecuted? Given the way such scandals have come and gone without governments dealing with them, I am tempted to believe there could be some cooperation between previous and current administration as regard selling and buying of freedom.
Could the monies so wasted on these waste bins not have been productively applied to the real needs of the people in the local areas concerned? Obviously, this unfortunate development drives home the point strongly that MMDCEs should be elected by their local people who would hold them accountable for their stewardship.
The President has announced that MMDCs will be elected in the 2018 election cycle. However, the preparatory work, that must happen for the elections to take place seem not to be under consideration yet. As an ardent advocate for election of MMDCEs, this rather bad example of alleged corruption helps me to make my point loud and clear – elect MMDCEs to stop corruption.
The Last Uprising
…with William Dowokpor
