Leader of Movement for Change and the Alliance for Revolutionary Change who is aspiring to be Ghana’s president come December 7, 2024 polls, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, has touted his incorruptibility, saying that will be a launch-pad for him to fight corruption in Ghana.
According Mr. Kyerematen, one critical requirement to fighting corruption in Ghana is to have leadership of personal integrity.
“I have never been corrupt, I am not corrupt now, and I will not be corrupt”, Mr. Kyerematen shared while answering questions regarding how his government intends to deal with the age old canker of bribery and corruption.
He argues that leadership of personal integrity ensures that others around the leader uphold the principle of integrity, probity and accountability which will help deal with corruption.
Mr. Kyerematen used the opportunity to throw a word of caution to his followers and the people who are getting into the Movement for Change or the Alliance for Revolutionary Change to do away with thoughts of enriching themselves if he wins the 2024 election. “So if you hang around me and you think you are helping me to get into power so that you’ll repeat what has been happening for the last 32 years, it ain’t gonna happen for you” he reaffirmed.
Elaborating further on the approaches he and his government will use to fight corruption, Mr. Kyerematen proposed that his government will consolidate all the laws/provisions that borders on corruption and corruption fight and properly define corruption as well as suggest punitive measures for such offences.
The lack of clear cut definition in Ghana’s statutes, he says, is problematic. The different definitions and conceptualization of corruption by different state agencies, he says amount to confusion when it comes to fighting corruption in Ghana.
He said a key pre-requisite to effectively fight corruption in Ghana, is to coalesce all pieces of legislation and define corruption properly to engender a consensus on what constitutes corruption and the types of punishment to be meted out to offenders.
Again, Mr. Kyerematen revealed that one paramount policy initiative to target corruption will be the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Czar. He says the Anti-Corruption Czar will replace the Office of the Special Prosecutor and will be armed with prosecutorial powers to prosecute anyone found culpable of corruption related offences. The office, he shares, will be independent of the Attorney General Office.
He added that the anti-corruption chief under his tenure will not be appointed by the president but by a second chamber of parliament, giving the individual the power to operate without interference from the powers that be.