Fallout From The Vetting Of Martin Amidu As Special Prosecutor Nominee

Before the vetting of Martin Alamisi Burnes Kaiser Amidu as the special prosecutor following his nomination by the Attorney General and subsequently approval by the President, certain members of parliament had expressed different opinions on his suitability or otherwise for the position. It became clear from the beginning of the vetting process, that Mr. Martin Amidu would be very uncompromising when dealing with issues on corruption. The vetting committee came to the realisation that the nominee was prepared to go tough on anyone who misuses money belonging to the state. Mr. Amidu pointed out that if Ghana is able to stop all the leakages money will be saved for development, thereby preventing a situation where the country will have to go round begging for assistance. He made it clear that he was prepared to go after anyone who embezzles state funds and that this would be done without political colouration. The vetting sent strong signals to everyone in the country that very soon acts of corruption would be minimised if not completely eliminated. As was pointed out by Mr.
Martin Amidu, one of the reasons for the past coups d’état in Ghana was corruption. To be able to stop this, therefore, there is the need to fight corruption and discourage people from engaging in it. Corruption globally has prevented the mobilisation of resources needed for socio-economic development. The result has been widespread poverty, degradation, squalor, lack of social amenities in various part of the country to promote of the welfare of the people.

The path being taken by Ghana in her drive against corruption is appropriate and must be embraced by all. The special prosecutor is expected to be strong-headed, fearless, bold and also be prepared to deal with any person or group of persons suspected to have engaged in any form of malfeasance. If this agenda is pursued with all the seriousness required, the country can be turned round in no time to become the envy of the world. In line with this there should be no fear on the part of any one since Mr. Amidu has made it clear that there will be no witch hunting and that he will be fair to all. Based on his performance, the Appointments Committee approved by concensus for the position of special prosecutor. The swift manner in which the committee approved of the nomination shows that the committee was convinced about his competence, capability and conviction to carry out the arduous task ahead. Even though the special prosecutor must be independent, tough and strong-minded, he must be prepared to work hand in hand with other anti-corruption agencies in the country. Furthermore, investigation officers in the office of the special prosecutor must be prepared to go the extra mile to uncover all seemingly insurmountable obstacles that may be encountered during the process of investigation of any issue. Corruption is a major obstacle to socio-economic development, so the anti-corruption crusade must be won at all cost. The earlier we all assist the special prosecutor to fight corruption the better it will be for the entire country.

BY: DR. KOFI AMPONSAH-BEDIAKO, DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS, GHANA STANDARDS AUTHORITY.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Need For Ghanaians To Support The 2021 Budget

Showing compassion to the less privileged

One Year Of Coronavirus In Ghana