The Agbogbomefia of Asogli, Togbe Afede XIV, has called on Ghanaians to stop glorifying wealth of dubious origins and rather maintain a firm stance to fiercely resist all forms of corruption, insisting that wealth must be preceded by hard work.
He further urged the citizenry to acquire a new sense of patriotism and embrace the spirits of honesty and hard work to restore the country’s image as the Black Star of Africa.
Addressing a packed durbar in Ho last Saturday, the Agbogbomefia said honesty and respect for the truth were crucial for the progress of the country.
He was speaking on the theme, “Together in honesty and purpose, we build a just and prosperous nation”, during the celebration of this year’s Te Za (Yam Festival).
The guest of honour was the Vice-President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.
Abundant resource
Togbe Afede reiterated that Ghana had abundant resources to enable it to become a wealthy nation, but those resources had been squandered by a few dishonest educated elite and politicians for far too long.
Those assigned the duty of protecting the country rather chose to milk the country dry, he said.
The Agbogbomefia cited illegal mining, known as galamsey, saying it was the result of unmitigated corruption, and that it was time Ghanaians assumed an uncompromising stance to team up and fight the menace.
Togbe Afede referred to a recent health report which said 134 Ghanaians committed suicide last year, saying that was the result of the depression wrecked on them by a corrupt society.
Constitutional review
Togbe Afede called for a review of the 1992 Constitution to make corruption unattractive by swiftly and severely punishing culprits.
The Agbogbomefia urged members of the Operation Retrieve All Loot (ORAL) team to work diligently without delay to expose those behind cited corrupt practices, and make them face the full rigours of the law, while entreating the government to make the declaration of assets by public officials a hallmark.
Togbe Afede maintained that Ghana would be a land of great joy if its leaders, chiefs and the people cherished the truth.
Awafiaga
The Awafiaga of Asogli, Togbe Adzie Lakle Howusu XII, who is the Dufia of Ho-Dome, urged traditional rulers to be fair and honest in judgments of cases brought to their palaces, adding that honesty was a vital requirement for peace and progress.
He urged the government to redouble its efforts against illegal mining before it engulfed the entire nation.
Among the large gathering at the durbar was the Paramount Chief of Aflao Traditional Area, Togbi Amenya Fiti V, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Governs Kwami Agbodza, and the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu.
The municipal and district chief executives from Ho and surrounding areas, chiefs from Notsie, Togo and elsewhere in the country, and a cross-section of people from the Ho traditional and surrounding areas showed up.
Also present were the Italian Ambassador, Laura Ranalli, other members of the diplomatic corps and chiefs from other parts of the country.
Lifestyle audit
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, said the House was ready to legislate a lifestyle audit act to end the abuse of state resources by individuals appointed into privileged positions in society.
Speaking during an engagement with key anti-corruption and accountability institutions in Parliament in June this year, he said enacting such a law would stop the impunity with which government appointees and public servants flaunted ill-gotten wealth in the country.
“Colleagues, this is a defining moment. As public trust in institutions wanes globally, our ability to work transparently and effectively will determine whether citizens see accountability as a real possibility or as an elusive problem,” the Speaker said.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) currently has the mandate to conduct lifestyle audits to fish out corrupt public servants.
In February 2023, the office charged four persons, made up of three public servants and a civil servant for failing to comply and declare sources of income in contravention of regulation 20 of LI2374.
One person works with the National Insurance Commission, another with the Office of the Vice-President, with two others being senior officers with the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority.
Recently, the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has swooped on crime-funded luxury in Ghana which has renewed concerns for a new biting legal regime to tackle unexplained wealth.
The investigators, working with Ghanaian law enforcement, came across proceeds from crime, ranging from romance scams to multimillion-dollar fraud, which had been laundered into the country to support lavish lifestyles.
One of the highest-profile cases involved socialite and musician Mona Faiz Montrage, better known as Hajia4Reall, who was sentenced to a year in prison in the US after pleading guilty to conspiracy to receive stolen money in a $2 million romance scam.
