Fundraising Manager at Transparency International Ghana, Michael Boadi, has called for a stronger commitment to the fight against corruption and an end to the over-politicisation of state institutions following concerns about alleged financial irregularities in the construction of multi-million-cedi astroturf projects.

The documentary investigates the use of millions of Ghana cedis in public funds for the One Constituency, One Astroturf programme, uncovering alleged ownership disputes, procurement irregularities, the privatisation of stadium lands, abuse of office and conflicts of interest surrounding the construction and control of the facilities.

Speaking on the Joy FM Super Morning Show on Wednesday, September 16, during the Corruption Watch documentary on multi-million-cedi astroturf projects, Mr Boadi outlined two key measures he believes must be implemented to address the concerns surrounding the projects.

He said the first step was for political leaders to move beyond promises and rhetoric on corruption and ensure that those responsible for mismanaging public resources face consequences.

“I think the first thing is that we should stop paying lip service to the fight against corruption; fair and simple,” he said.

Mr Boadi argued that politicians entrusted with managing the country’s resources must be held accountable when they fail to deliver on their mandate.

“I mean, it’s about time that politicians who have the mandate to manage the state and the resources of the state get punished if they pay lip service to corruption,” he said.

He also said public officials' performance should be assessed not only on whether they complied with established rules, but also on the quality and integrity of the development projects delivered.

According to him, focusing solely on whether procedures were followed without examining the actual value of projects to citizens could undermine efforts to tackle corruption.

“So, it’s about time that people measure performance, not just about rules that have been constructed, but the integrity of the development that was delivered,” Mr Boadi said.

He warned that without a stronger focus on accountability and the quality of public projects, Ghana would struggle to make meaningful progress in the fight against corruption.

“Up until then, I believe that we are not going to make any headway,” he added.

Mr Boadi’s second recommendation was for state institutions to be allowed to operate independently and effectively without excessive political influence.

He attributed some of the country’s difficulties in fighting corruption and ensuring accountability to what he described as the over-politicisation of public institutions.

“I think that institutions must be made to work. Over-politicisation of institutions is leading us nowhere. We are running in circles,” he said.

He said that the effect of weak or politically influenced institutions extends beyond the fight against corruption and affects Ghana’s broader development.

“I mean, we take one step forward in development and take several steps back,” he said.

Mr Boadi therefore called for measures to address what he described as the over-politicisation of institutions and ensure that public bodies can effectively carry out their mandates.

“Over-politicisation of institutions must stop, and we must find a way of dealing with it,” he said.

“I think that if we let institutions work and we hold people accountable for delivery on their mandate, a lot of things will change, and this will stop,” Mr Boadi said.