Feature Article of Thursday, 7 March 2013
Columnist: Osman, Iddi
Corruption in Ghana, and for that matter in Africa, is the bane of our slow pace of economic and social development and attempts by anyone to fight corruption must be supported. Corruption cuts across all government institutions. It is part of the game and its legalisation in most government institutions is from the top management. It is well known that corruption is more endemic in Ghana’s CEPS denying government millions of Ghana cedis.
There is an African proverb which says “If the fish comes out of the river to tell you that the crocodile has one eye, you should believe it”.
Nelson Abudu Baani, the MP for Daboya/Mankarigu in the Northern Region has said that there is an institutionalisation of corruption at the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS).
Speaking to Joy FM on Monday 4th March, 2013, the former head of the Special Operations Unit of CEPS said he has palpable evidence to prove his allegations of corruption.
According said he has substantial evidence of corrupt practices at the Service and will soon be heading to the president and the Speaker of Parliament for swift action.
“The Special Operations set up by the late President John Mills was to fight persistent corruption in the Service and was able to save an estimated 6 million cedis in revenue for the state which would otherwise have gone into individual pockets”. he lamented.
When NDC came to power in 2009, this MP then a CEPS officer was tasked to form a Task Force to stop some of the corrupt practices by CEPS but this task force was dissolved because some people in well placed positions were not happy with the work of the Task Force. Indeed Nelson Abudu and his team stepped on so many powerful toes because of their commitment to fighting corrupt practices at the Tema Harbour and so were forced out of the Tema Harbour.
This MP needs to be supported to wage this crusade.
By Iddi Osman