Experts divided over Mahama’s anti-corruption committee

Some watchers in the anti-corruption space have expressed diverse opinions on the five-member committee assembled by President-elect John Dramani Mahama to help in the fight against corruption.

While both the Co-Chair of the Citizens' Movement Against Corruption, Edem Senanu, and political scientist, Dr Samuel Kofi Darkwa, have expressed support for the President-elect’s committee, the Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Mary Addah, believes the committee is superfluous, given that the nation is not in short supply of anti-corruption institutions.

Announcement

The Transition Team of President-elect Mahama announced the five-member committee yesterday tasked with the responsibility of receiving and gathering information from members of the public and other sources on suspected acts of corruption.

It is part of preparatory measures towards the rollout of Mr Mahama's promise to recover proceeds of corruption and to hold persons responsible and accountable when he assumes office.

The team, chaired by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has former Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo; retired Commissioner of Police (COP), Nathaniel Kofi Boakye; private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, and Raymond Archer, a journalist, as members.

Statement

A statement signed by the Spokesperson for Mr Mahama’s Transition Team, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said the formation of the committee was a preparatory measure towards the rollout of Mr Mahama’s “promise to recover proceeds of corruption and hold persons responsible for such corruption accountable when he assumes office”.

“Anti-corruption, with Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) as a major plank, formed a core part of John Mahama’s policy platform in the 2024 campaign, and he intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement emphasised.

At a town hall event in Koforidua dubbed “Building Ghana Tour” as part of his election campaign earlier this year, Mr Mahama pledged to strengthen the fight against corruption when elected into office in this year’s presidential election.

He said there were growing concerns across the country over the reluctance of the incumbent government to prosecute perpetrators of corruption although he maintained the number of scandals increased by the day.

Experts’ opinions

Reacting to the development, Mr Senanu said the committee's fact-finding approach, which would encourage citizens to provide information, was a step in the right direction.

"The approach is not to duplicate the existing institutions but to encourage citizens to provide information, which can be validated, and then handed over to the institutions of state to follow up," he explained.

He acknowledged that the whistle-blower approach posed a risk, as whistle-blowers might face retaliation.

However, Mr Senanu, who is also a member of the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption, insisted that if the committee handled the task well, it could lead to more credible evidence and a stronger fight against corruption.

He further emphasised the importance of citizen participation in the fight against corruption, citing Article 41 of the Constitution.

"If many more Ghanaians understand that we have a responsibility under Article 41 and respond to this call, they may have much more information that they can aggregate and provide to the agencies," he said.

Commendable step

Dr Darkwa said the President-elect had “taken a commendable step in the fight against corruption by establishing a five-member committee, a move that underscores his commitment to his campaign promises”.

The initiative, he said, aligned with Mr Mahama’s ambitious Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) aimed at reclaiming stolen assets and holding wrongdoers accountable.

“Importantly, this new committee is designed to complement existing agencies, including the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice and the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

By focusing on public input, the committee aims to bolster the effectiveness of ongoing anti-corruption work, ensuring that citizen reports are taken seriously and acted upon,” Dr Darkwa said.

He said the implications of the initiative were significant in that “it promises to enhance public participation in monitoring corruption, strengthen existing institutions and ultimately rebuild trust in government”. 

GII questions President-elect’s anti-corruption committee

Mrs Addah, however, said there was no need for a new committee because of the existence of already established anti-graft bodies, and questioned the necessity and powers of the new committee.

She acknowledged that as the leader of the NDC, the President-elect had the right to set up committees.

She, however, emphasised the need for clarity on the committee's terms of reference, powers and operational framework.

"We know the chair is not a judge, and so perhaps the committee's findings would find difficulty getting investigated," Mrs Addah said.

The GII Executive Director also drew attention to the potential risks of creating parallel institutions, which could undermine the existing anti-corruption framework.

"We have to be careful to be able to delineate between the state institutions’ role and whatever committee is being set up," she cautioned.