Award-winning journalist and the Integrity Personality Award winner, 2021, Manasseh Azure Awuni has expressed worry that Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) might become a white elephant should government refuse to commit substantial resources to it.
Speaking on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show, Mr. Awuni Azure said state resources, albeit scarce, have always been found being used to perpetuate corrupt ventures. For this reason, the award-winning journalist expressed surprise that government had failed to commit enough resources to adequately man the office.
“The new person who has taken over is saying, look, he needs about 1.2 billion GHC to set up the office and run it but he has only been given 80 million GHC that is even far less than what Martin [Amidu] was given about 3 years ago. This goes to show that the fight against corruption is not happening and the government does not appear to be interested. I can say the President, does not appear to be interested in fighting the corruption which he promised to fight when he was in opposition,” he explained.
He continued to say “resources are always scarce but we find resources to fund corrupt activities” citing the fumigation of schools that had been closed and could not possibly contain any traces of the COVID-19 as one of the many corrupt ventures of government. He described the act as ‘stupid’ and one that ‘did not make sense’.
The Investigate Journalist called on government to allocate and disburse the needed resource to the OSP to allow it to function effectively quoting the SP who disclosed that the office needs over 250 highly skilled forensic analysts, cyber security experts, forensic accountants and other investigators to work. The OSP, he said, also needed specialized equipment to carry out their duties.
Meanwhile, Manasseh Azure Awuni has called out the Nana Akufo Addo-led government for its seeming interest in dealing with corruption in the country. Mr. Azure Awuni, speaking on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show explained that although government set up the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) ostensibly to deal with issues of corruption in the country, political interference as alleged by the former Special Prosecutor (SP) Martin Ben Kaiser Amidu, and the lack of financial commitment, as posited by the current SP Kissi Agyebeng, clearly indicate government’s deliberate inaction to tackle corruption in the country.
Investigative Journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni and Detective CID at the Kaneshie Police Station were named the Ghana Integrity personalities of the year 2021 at the second edition of the Ghana Integrity Initiative Award held at the Alisa Hotel in Accra
The Award was held on the occasion of the United Nations’ Anti-Corruption Day.
Forty persons were nominated or submitted entries while fifteen made it to the next stage.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
