Geoffrey Kabutey Ocansey, Executive Director of Revenue Mobilisation Africa, has proposed the establishment of a “Hall of Shame” to publicly document officials who misappropriate, embezzle, or steal state resources.
According to Mr Ocansey, this registry should explicitly list the names of individuals found guilty of corrupt acts alongside the specific amounts they liquidated.
He believes this “brutal” approach would serve as a powerful deterrent, as the lasting social stigma—affecting both the individuals and their family legacies—would discourage future misconduct.
As a tax expert and advocate for the retrieval of looted funds, Ocansey expressed deep concern that corruption has become “normalised” among those entrusted with national resources.
He highlighted the sharp contrast between the greed of officials draining scarce state resources and the daily struggles of citizens facing poor roads and inadequate healthcare facilities like the “no-bed syndrome”.
Mr Ocansey characterised corruption as an organised crime championed by a “gang of criminals” who must be stopped at all costs. He emphasised that retrieval is the most critical component of the anti-corruption fight.
“All those who have stolen state resources must be made to return them,” Ocansey stated. “If they cannot, their private properties must be confiscated by the state.”
“We have to establish a hall of shame where we keep the names of all those who stole from us and put their pictures there so Ghanaians will know who they are. We also have to add the amount of money they stole. We still have issues of the ‘no bed’ syndrome, terrible roads, and other challenges; we cannot continue to allow these nation-wreckers to destroy this country through their greed.”
Mr Ocansey pointed out a perceived double standard in the justice system, noting that ordinary citizens are jailed quickly for petty theft while high-level corruption cases drag on.
“The talking and explanations have become too many. We want action against all those accused of corruption. Our judiciary must act with speed on these cases. When you take the James Gyakye Quayson case and the speed at which it was adjudicated, we expect that all these corruption cases will be handled with similar urgency.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
