Vibrant anti-corruption campaigners who have gone 'silent' over the years

Corruption fight has not been a battle for only a few but over the years, some Ghanaian political figures highlighted their vigorous for fighting the menace which has eaten deep into the flesh of even the ordinary citizen.

Such people in their high tides, amidst several intimidating factors, proved beyond reasonable doubt that the country could achieve a

Read full articlecorruption-free status.

However, as years passed and governments changed, most of these anti-corruption crusaders have become dormant, a situation which raises an alarm on the status of corruption in the country.

GhanaWeb in this article takes a look at some of these anti-corruption campaigners who have seemingly gone silent over the years.

Martin Amidu

Martin Lamisi Amidu’s presence in corruption fight in the current administration has been described by many well-meaning Ghanaians as nothing to be compared with to his previous ‘raids’ in erstwhile administrations.

Mr Amidu who has now been described as a ‘lame-duck’ since his ascendance into power as the Special Prosecutor was deemed the ‘saviour’ when he was announced as the man for the job.

Prior to his appointment, ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas had described him as an incorruptible personality. “I don’t think Uncle Martin is corrupt…he is entitled to his view and we must respect that…I have to be focused on my job…,” Anas said on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show in 2015.

Now, while as special prosecutor, several Ghanaians have bemoaned his slow pace at which he is tackling corruption, as though his office had put him in shackles.

Jerry John Rawlings

His charisma and unperturbed nature in damning corrupt government officials created quite a resolute image about him amongst anti-corruption campaigners. Former President Jerry John Rawlings is viewed by several Ghanaians as one of the best presidents in the fourth republic for his role in fighting anti-corruption.

While as president, Mr Rawlings sought to purge Ghana of corrupt leaders who used their positions to milk the nation. JJ Rawlings became a maverick critic of successive governments after serving his term.

Even though his term as president was, according to some Ghanaians, marred by military violence, it doesn’t clear his record in his radical approach against corruption.

But the former president has gone silent in the past few years, considering the rampant cases of corruption levelled against government officials and even presidents. Some political figures have said the former president tackles corruption occasionally.

Ace Ankomah

As a founding member of one of the most vibrant anti-corruption groups in the country, his silence over the past months amidst glaring cases of corruption seems to be a worry for some Ghanaians.

Ace Ankomah in previous years demonstrated fearless spirits in his fight against corruption as seen in his posts, interviews and anti-corruption campaigns organized by Occupy Ghana.

Some of his bold condemnation against corrupt officials includes his 40 reasons why Ghana is corrupt piece in 2017, his call for a Bribery and Corruption Act in 2014, his declaration that Ghana's systems are deliberately set up for corruption in 2018.

However, not much has been heard of the maverick anti-corruption campaigner in 2019.

Emile Short

The first commissioner of the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Justice Emile Short, waged quite a war on corruption in his early days as the Ombudsman.

While in power, he set up anti-corruption units which undertook quite a number of corruption investigations of public officials. He became an avid critic of corruption in successive government but the statesman has gone silent these past few years.

But for his appointment as the Chairman of the Committee of Inquiry into the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence, very little or nothing at all would have been heard from him in recent times.

Paul Collins Appiah Ofori

Affectionately called PC Appiah, was an anti-graft crusader and former Member of Parliament (MP) for Esikuma-Odobin-Brakwa Constituency. Known by many to be the ‘cover blower’ in the renowned bribery scandal involving parliament and Vodafone.

In 2012, the anti-corruption campaigner admitted that his party, NPP had failed in fighting corruption. Speaking on corruption and why he failed to seek re-election, he said: “during the NPP time, corruption did not reduce and it has still not reduced with the coming into power of the National Democratic Party (NDC) Government.”

“They refused to give me my share of the bribe because they were scared I will blow their cover. It was an NDC MP who told me what they had received,” Mr Appiah known to have been the 'whistleblower' in the bribery scandal involving some parliamentarians of his time and Vodafone said in an interview.

The staunch anti-corruption campaigner, PC Appiah in the midst of torrential cases of corruption has been silent.