Executive Director of Transparency International Ghana, Mary Addah, has cautioned against uncritical public support for the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) headed by Kissi Agyebeng.
She is urging citizens to back the institution while demanding stronger accountability.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express, she said public trust in the OSP reflects a broader pattern where citizens rally behind institutions they see as the best available option.
“I would want to say that the issue around trust over time has shown that when the citizen believes that the alternative, or what they see as the best alternative, is what is being threatened, then They show up to show that commitment,” Madam Addah said.
She noted that this trend has been consistent in data gathered through governance surveys.
“It’s been exhibited in various surveys that we have done over time, in our corruption barometer and also the Afrobarometer, you would realise that whenever citizens believe the only option available, or the best option or alternative available for a certain intervention is what is being threatened, and they would want to show commencement,” she explained.
Madam Addah recalled the strong public backing that led to the creation of the OSP, describing it as a response to dissatisfaction with existing anti-corruption structures.
“And in the case of the OSP, we had all gone out there on the road to ensure that it was passed, because we thought what existed at the time was not the best for all of us,” she said.
She added that exposure to successful anti-corruption models in other countries also shaped that push.
“We’ve been to other countries where we have seen good examples of the fight against corruption,” she noted.
Despite ongoing debates about the legal status of the OSP, Addah insisted that it remains the most viable anti-corruption body currently available.
“But if we scrap it, what is the alternative? The alternative still remains that the OSP is the only anti-corruption, purely anti-corruption institution set up to fight corruption and corruption-related offences, as well as procurement offences,” she said.
She acknowledged that some critics question the OSP’s constitutional grounding but warned against abandoning it without a clear replacement.
“And I believe the recent sentiment has been evident because they believe that, because it’s not constitutional, then it should be scrapped,” she stated.
Madam Addah said growing public confidence in institutions is also linked to increased citizen awareness and willingness to speak out.
“People are not afraid anymore, because capacity has been built over time, we have seen citizens empowered, and we have seen citizens begin to speak out more,” she said.
Still, she stressed that trust must not translate into blind loyalty.
“But that is not to say we are just going for it, hook, line and sinker, and from a blind perspective, we also interrogate to see what else can be done that can better the system so that our trust can even be enhanced more than it is now,” she cautioned.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com