Criminologist Prof. Ken Agyeman Attafuah has said that the recent violent agitation by National Democratic Congress (NDC) youth in Wa culminating in the removal from office of the Upper West Regional Minister was a clear indication of a lack of faith in the procurement process. He said the incident highlights “the depth of public discontent with procurement processes generally in the country.” Prof. Attafuah was speaking at a forum organized by the Centre for Freedom and Accuracy (CFA) on the theme: Managing Foot Soldiers and Party Loyalists for a Sustainable Democracy and Effective Institutional Development” in Accra on Wednesday. The criminologist said despite stringent requirements by the Public Procurement Law of 2003, there was a general perception that corrupt public officials circumvented the law and engaged in corrupt activities. Such perceptions, Prof. Attafuah believes, emboldened party foot soldiers to violently resist, attack and demand the dismissal of public officials. “The recent foot soldier activities in Ghana highlight the youth’s complete loss of faith in mainstream national institutions and legal framework for governance,” he said. But the use of violence by foot soldiers to address their concerns, he contended, detracted from the democratic culture the country was building. “The term foot soldiers evokes images of mercenaries and mercenaries are fierce soldiers for battle moving across borders to wage war, and mercenaries were outlawed by Article 47 of the Geneva Convention”. Prof. Attafuah, who is also a Barrister-at-Law, said the conduct of party foot soldiers in “Ghana is a caricatured interpretation of Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s” statement that ‘seek ye first the political kingdom, and the rest shall be added unto you' and so when the political kingdom is achieved, then the others must follow. According to him, another thing that fuels the activities of foot soldiers is the contrived idea of justice. “The demand for accountability and transparency by public office holders - both past and present - in the character of the slogan ‘yεmpene’, ‘we no go sit down make them cheat us every day’ is one of the principles underpinning the nature of these activities.” “Demands for vengeance against implacable political enemies construed as justice appears to be the third principles underpinning the agitations by party loyalists and foot solders. “The root of the first principle is the base idea that post elections public office is the spoils of war, an opportunity to fill our bellies and the potholes that developed on our faces during the lean years of opposition and even, if we are lucky, to self aggrandize. In short it is now time to also loot and share because those who held office in previous administrations looted and shared the spoils of war." This state of affairs, he stated, "is a debasement of the essence of politics and the failure of the political elite of this country to articulate and implement a political programme that allows an a-political, professional and competent public service of integrity to flourish in our land. Neo patrimonialism or patriot tribalism define our sense of public office and appointment.” As a way forward, Prof. Attafuah proposed the strengthening of national institutions mandated to fight corruption. He advocated the collapsing of all anti-corruption institutions into one to mobilize resources and effectively fight the canker. When that happens, party loyalists and foot soldiers can then be rest assured that their major headache of corruption will be dealt with. The criminologist said the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has gained the respect of many Ghanaians and is trusted to be fair, thorough and truthful in its investigations of cases of corruption. He therefore stressed the need for the Commission to be capacitated and the investigation of all corruption allegations left to it to avoid the issues of duplication. Concluding, Prof. Attafuah said governments must make a conscious effort to abide by the principles of good governance, for that is the only way they can help alleviate the predicament of foot soldiers. To members of the NDC, he said they should remember that the nervous system of their party is democracy and their violent agitations were inconsistent with the tenets of democracy. To loyalists of the NPP, the lawyer noted, central to their political ideology is patriotism and reminded them that resorting to violence to settle grievances and differences is an unpatriotic behaviour. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana