In the last couple of weeks, the nation has been caught in a frenzy of national conversation over our lingering inability in responsibly managing our fiscal space.
The records show that we have been struggling in our efforts at ensuring fiscal discipline, without the required outcome, just the same way we have been unable to deter delinquent politicians and senior public officials from inflicting pain on helpless citizens.
The culprits had largely gone away with their loot until the JA Kufuor administration made that modest intervention through the courts. So far, little has been done by way of implementing enduring deterrent policy to send the unmistakeable signal that delinquents will be sorry when they are caught.
So, the story, since the Kwame Nkrumah era, appears to be the same, particularly with regard to the handling of the offensive annual audit reports that capture various financial malfeasance, including obvious loots, perpetrated by fellow citizens.
Time to be ‘angry’
Fortunately for us, the raging conversation about a dance with the IMF offers yet another opportunity to be angry enough to recall the list from Adam, and begin looking for the culprits in a lawful revolutionary programme to recover the loots.
That new thinking should be seen as necessary in view of the seeming helplessness on the part of governments to ‘touch’ their own appointees and civil and public service chief directors.
It is very unfortunate that beyond our failure to stay within budgetary limits, we also look on while unpatriotic state actors and their collaborators abuse our limited resources. They do so at the expense of otherwise basic and relevant projects that offer relief to ordinary citizens. These include health and educational facilities as well as market amenities.
Relevant chase
The relevance in people demanding that we chase the culprits linked with the worrying annual audit reports comes against the background that the funds we may be getting from the IMF could be less than the quantum of funds lost through abuses.
Of course, we have recently, under the Akufo-Addo administration, attempted some modest efforts at recovery through the relevant anti-graft agencies.
Be that as it may, the reality is that the processes are still snail-paced in sustaining the tempo and decisively deterring the pig-headed actors on rampage.
More worrying and annoying is the fact that, till date, nothing shows that the culture of impunity will halt today or tomorrow, as we struggle to find enough funds annually to do basic development in vulnerable communities across the country.
Clipping the delinquents
Thankfully, the impact of our civil society on good governance has been so vibrant that we are reaching a point that governments should find healthy partnerships in them to initiate truly non-partisan structures to deal with our traditionally awful fiscal indiscipline.
However, that should culminate in ensuring that we manage the saga of recurring loots that disable sincere effort on the part of governments from living out worthwhile promises and mandates.
In the opinion of the Daily Statesman, the Office of the Special Prosecutor still has a long way to go in sending out the strongest of signal that it can change the current situation.
We also believe that between Parliament and the Executive, something must give in roping in civil society actors, the courts and the media for effectual partnerships in dealing with the situation.
We should not allow it to be said that when it mattered most we lost a beckoning opportunity to unite as Ghanaians and citizens in collectively fighting corruption.
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