The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has called for accountability from heads of the various anti-corruption bodies in Ghana in the fight against the canker.
According to the IEA, those state-funded institutions must be blamed for the seeming failure in the fight against corruption.
The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Auditor General’s Department and the Public Accounts Committee9 PAC) of Parliament are among institutions whose heads must be questioned over the increasing perception of corruption in Ghana, according to the IEA.
“It is about time the heads of these institutions are held accountable for their stewardship,” suggested Jean Mensah, the Executive Director of the Institute.
“After all, it is the tax payers’ money – yours and mine – that go to support them and their institutions.”
She made this suggestion at a corruption conference organised by her outfit in Accra on Tuesday.
The conference was themed: “Purging the Nation of Corruption – Demanding Accountability from Public Institutions”.
A former Commissioner of CHRAJ, Justice Emile Short, lent credence to the call made by IEA’s Director, stressing that the heads of the anti-corruption bodies are not above the law.
“There should not be immunity and we should not tolerate inefficiency, incompetence on the part of heads of these institutions.”
But a former Auditor General, Professor Edward Dua Agyemang, suggested that non-performance of the anti-graft institutions may be due to a wide range of factors among which is finance.
“If they are not performing, you have to look at why are they not. Have they been given all the facilities? If that is so, there you can say, YES.”
The conference was attended by several stakeholders including representatives of political parties, Members of Parliament and members of the clergy.
Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra of the Roman Catholic Church Bishop Charles Palmer-Buckle chaired the conference.
