Professor Stephen Adei
Politics has been reduced to a smear campaign contest with some opponents deciding to swim in the gutter with pigs.
Thus everyday some of our senior citizens in the name of probity and accountability make very wild and unsubstantiated allegations against members of the ruling government.
In this country, it is only politicians, especially government appointees who are corrupt, although corruption permeates every facet of our national life. Unfortunately, members of our society have bought into such claims although Ghanaians are involved in all kinds of “connections” to make ends meet.
Some of our people are prepared to pay individuals for services and products above the official rates just to escape the officials that must go to the government to fix the development challenges.
The phenomenon of “goro boys” can be felt at the Passport Office, DVLA, our borders, ports and airports, while recruitment into our security agencies is a goldmine for some of our compatriots.
Thanks to President Nana Akufo-Addo’s vision of free SHS, admissions are no longer a cocoa season for headmasters although some unscrupulous people still pay bribes to get their wards to so-called first class schools.
Ironically, some of the people who smear politicians parade the corridors of power seeking for rent to advance their personal gains. So while Professor Stephen Adei served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) he never smelt corruption in the award of road contracts?
We think that Professor Adei has compromised his reputation as a distinguished public official who changed the fortunes of Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), then a civil service training school into its finally acknowledged status today.
However, that does not make Professor Adei our best role model. The rationale behind his one million cedi (dollar) claim might not have been informed by the national interest but pure bitterness arising from the decision of the government not to reappoint him to the GRA Board.
We are worried about the future of those construction companies whose owners laboured day and night to build such reputable companies which compete on the international stage for contracts.
Professor Adei, like your kinsmen say: if you have nothing to offer your in-law do you surreptitiously go to his or her farm to steal? Some of our road construction companies are doing very well in recent times that we would encourage Professor Adei to use his platforms to increase their confidence levels.
What in local parlance we call “skin pain” that certain characters such as Professor Adei, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe, Brigadier General Nunoo Mensah, Dr. Arthur Kennedy, Lawyer Martin Kpebu and Professor Ransford Gyampo exhibit cannot be situated in anti graft campaign but to promote their personal comfort or cause disaffection for government in favour of John Mahama’s regime change agenda.
We are saddened by the claims of Professor Adei against private sector players in the road construction sector when he is involved in the provision of education. How would he feel if he is accused of buying fame for his school, Ghana Christian International High School?
Certainly, we endorse any campaign that would make all of us to have zero tolerance for corruption. That, however, does not mean that we should throw mud at our compatriots to score political points.
Furthermore, we endorse the decision of the Roads and Highways Minister, Mr. Akwasi Amoako Atta in referring the claims to Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for investigations. We worry also that if care is not taken these anti-graft institutions would be made to embark on wild goose chases with these unsubstantiated claims.
Already we realise that the Office of the Special Prosecutor is set on such path with the Minority in Parliament.
And to some of our compatriots who have developed verbal diarrhea, we have a simple prescription for them that can be found in James 1:5 which admonishes thus; “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men generally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” Professor Adei, a word to the wise is in Hwiremoase.