Programmes Manager at the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Mary Awelana Addah has bemoaned the government’s resourcing of the Office of the Special Prosecutor to fight corruption.

According to her, the former PPA boss, Adjenim Boateng Adjei would not have amassed much wealth if the government had resourced the office of the Special Prosecutor, well.

Referencing the recent news about the former PPA boss having withdrawn monies from his frozen accounts, Mary Addah said the country must be serious in its fight against corruption.

“If we want to fight corruption, then we must show some seriousness. Particularly when we know that in the past, things have not happened. The gentleman [Adjenim Boateng Adjei] you mentioned we know that assets that were frozen got unfrozen and if the OSP has his own logistics to track some of these, I believe this wouldn’t have happened, and so if he says he needs an independent forensic lab, let the people of Ghana invest in this,” she told Samson on Newsfile, Saturday.

She explained that although the fight against corruption is expensive, it is worth more than the monies government lose to corruption every year.

“Fighting corruption is an expensive venture, but let us remember that the monies we lose yearly to corruption is so huge than what we should be investing to ensuring that we do not lose those monies. It would be just a peanut compared to what we are losing already when we look at the monies that are being drained out of the national purse to corruption,” she added.

She also expressed doubt about the commitment of President Akufo-Addo to fighting the menace of corruption in the country.

According to her, despite a few reasonable efforts by the President to stem the canker, there is the need for the President to demonstrate commensurate action with his speeches on dealing with corruption.

“Let’s be very frank and say that it is no more interesting at all. We should call a spade a spade and say that our President, even though he has promised to fight corruption has not shown that significantly per his actions when it comes to the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

I say so because the composition of the Board is such that it is institutional. And so the institutions present the list, and the list is submitted to the Presidency so that these people are sworn in to take charge of the Office.

And I’m saying that the commitment is not shown by action because, if this gentleman is supposed to work, the Board should give him strategic guidance and direction. Again per his Act, the Board is supposed to ensure that they advise him on recruitment, particularly of certain staff”, she explained.