This menace keeps going on for so many reasons. Among them is that most of these officials who are found guilty of squandering state monies or indulging in acts of injustice are not prosecuted. In most cases, they are suspended, transferred or sacked. In few cases where they are taken to the law court, they are fined lesser than the amount stolen. The lack of no severe punishment for perpetrators somewhat encourage other state and private officials to find dubious means of defrauding the state or their institutions.
Another reason why this menace still lives with us is because greater percentage of Ghanaians are timid, thus unable to agitate or make strong calls for accountability and justice. The far a corruption or an injustice issue can go is its discussion in the media where panellists express their displeasure. Even during such times, there is someone who will be defending the culprit. Social media is the next place where such issues are discussed where the ordinary Ghanaian also expresses their displeasure or in a way lambaste the fellow in question. It is so rare to see a pressure group or the ordinary Ghanaian calling for the prosecution of someone or accountability to the extent that it will yield results.
One of its kind where Ghanaian actress Yvonne Nelson called on Ghanaians to assist her hold a vigil in the wake of severe power outages across the country, though successful, a section of the public and officials labelled her as a member of the opposition, disrespectful among others. Some people went to the extent of abusing her personally with phone calls and on social media. Lack of proper supervision is also one reason why corruption and injustice still stares us in the face as Ghanaians. It's as if those who are tasked to supervise rather team up with those working to dupe the nation and their various institutions. I could go on and on to give simple reasons why corruption is still alive so glare in Ghana.
But in the midst of all these, some selfless journalists have dedicated their work to unravel some of these corruptions and injustice acts going on in the various institutions. Example of such revelations brought into the lime light by the award winning investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas are Inside Ghana's Madhouse (January 2010), In the interest of the State (April 2010), Orphans Home of Hell-Osu (September 2010), Enemies of the Nation (February 2011), Ghana's Gold (December 2011), Presidential Assignment-Stealing the People's Power (January 2012), Dons of the Forest (June 2012), Deadly Gold (July 2012), Wild Ghana Project (September 2012), Spirit Child (January 2013), The Messiah of Mentukwa (May 2013), Ghana Sex Mafia and Ghana's Soul Takers (April 2014) and Ghana's Food for Thought (December 2014).
Another hard working award winning journalist who have been putting in much efforts to unravel corruption and injustice in Ghana is Manasseh Azure Awuni ; an investigative journalist presently working with Joy FM. Notable among them was The GYEEDA Rot (2013), The SADA Rot (2014), The World Cup Kickback Scandal (2014) and the Gay Doctor (2014).
The list cannot be ended without mentioning another hardworking journalist also working with Joy FM; Seth Kwame Boateng. He has been in the new lately for his ground breaking documentary Locked and Forgotten which even won him a citation from President John Dramani Mahama and adjudged overall Best Journalist in 2014 by the Ghana Journalist Association. He also produced documentaries like Buying Life (2014), Pain from Cursed Cell (2014) among others.
In life, the goal of every worker is to finish whatever project it is and then see results or make the solution work. The same applies to these assets of ours. Am not sure Anas, Manasseh and Seth are just so passionate about journalism that they pick up their equipment and go out there to investigate corrupt and injustice issues in the society. All of them have on several platforms shared how far they go and how dangerous the work gets sometimes to the extent of nearing their graves. Thus the utmost goal of these journalists is to see that desired change that triggered them from the onset to take on a particular project. So the question is, do changes and justice come to the projects they embark on?
I have not gone back after a project carried out by these gentlemen to see whether change and justice is carried out as expected but looking from afar, everyone can attest that the desired end result do not happen.
In the wake of the revelations, authorities who were supposed to be working but sleep on the job for such corruption and injustice to be happening stand on their feet to get the mess cleaned up but after the heat is gone and another topical issue comes into the limelight, most of the happenings continue. Due to this, the mess does not get cleaned up entirely but rather give culprits the awareness on how to restructure and divert their dubious acts.
Let me take Enemies of the Nation as an example. This was a documentary filmed by Anas Aremeyaw Anas on the fraud and corruption that goes on at Tema Habor. It showed how officials of CEPS who are supposed to be taking tax for the state team up with importers, receive bribe from them and allow them to transact business at the loss of the state. It is no news that many of these happening revealed by Anas still goes on at the Tema Habor.
Another is the SADA Rot, a mystery unravelled by Manasseh Azure. This documentary revealed the fraud and corruption going on at the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority. How SADA lied about growing trees in the Northern Region, how SADA claimed of investing in a Guniea Fowl project but had no evidence to show for it but rather gave an excuse that all the Guinea Fowl had flown to Burkina Faso (the lamest excuse I have ever heard in my life), etc. The CEO of SADA at the time Alhadji Iddi was in a way found to be the main culprit together with other staff. But the worse was to sack the CEO, change members of the Board and work goes on. Virtually no one was seriously prosecuted for the huge amount that was cited to go into personal pockets.
One documentary that made the biggest waves and took even the President to the prisons is Locked and Forgotten by Seth Kwame Boateng. Locked and Forgotten reveals how some citizens are taken into prison for remand but never get their cases to be investigated. And in many of such cases, the people are somewhat innocent. Ghana's prisons is said to be over populated which gives way for disease outbreak, hardship, etc. but everyday, our judges sentence and remand people. Some of these sentencing are said to be outrageous because a man who stole cassava or mobile phone can be jailed 10 years. A boy arrested for smoking marijuana can be jailed 15 years. Others are in remand for over 5 years where their cases never get back to the law court or investigated.
In the wake of this documentary, about 100 remand prisoners were released doubled with the call by several social groups for a bill to be passed which will see less or no jail sentence for minor crimes whiles others will see only fines. As at now, it is not news that a lot of people are still locked up and forgotten whiles others will still be locked and forgotten. This bill could take a long time to get passed by parliament because as soon as the heat of the issue goes down, even the parliamentarians will seem to forget.
Some judges will as well forget or ignore and continue to sentence even minor offenders to many years in prison forgetting that there ever existed a documentary revealing the injustice caused by their actions.
In conclusion, I think it is unfair to these hardworking journalists that after going the extra mile to unravel such corruption and injustice in our society, justice and changes are not ensured well. I don't think the award or citation they mostly get is their dream but rather solution to the problems since the solutions will make that better Ghana they always desire and want to live in.
Also, we have to be bold enough as citizens to support such selfless and hard working fellows who are putting their lives at risk for the betterment of us all.
I will also urge our beloved fellows to conduct a cross check after sometime and ascertain the level of change where the findings will be made known to the public.
LET'S RALLY BEHIND THE BOLD!!!
God Bless Our Homeland Ghana and put the corrupt to shame.
Another #Reality from my Medulla Oblogata.
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