Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-4hvwz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-28T11:41:02.730Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Roots of Corruption–the Ghanaian Enquiry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2008

Extract

In March 1970 Mr Justice P. D. Anin was named by the Ghanaian Presidential Commission, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, to head a five-man Commission of Enquiry into Bribery and Corruption. Not only was it authorised ‘to study the area, prevalence, and methods of bribery and corruption in Ghanaian society’, but also to determine whether there were factors in the society which contributed to this. ’As a people, do we frown upon and resist bribery and corruption or do we tend to regard them as natural and inevitable?’, asked Anin at the first meeting of the Commission of Enquiry on 29 June 1970, adding: ‘Do we draw a line between the ‘customary drink’ under our traditional practices, and bribery and corruption of public officers and others holding positions of trust?“ The answers to these questions, it was hoped, would lead to recommendations for the eradication of these ‘social evils’.

Type
Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1972

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Page 247 note 1 The Ghanaian Times (Accra), 30 06 1970.Google Scholar

Page 247 note 2 Daily Graphic (Accra), 22 10 1969.Google Scholar

Page 248 note 1 Armah, Ayi Kwei, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born (London, 1968), p. 180.Google Scholar

Page 248 note 2 Peasah, J. A., ‘Institutionalized Corruption’, in The Legon Observer (Accra), 17 02 1967, p. 12.Google Scholar

Page 248 note 3 Kwaminia, Atta, ‘The Cure for Corruption in Ghana’, in The Echo (Accra), 12 04 1970, p. 7.Google Scholar

Page 248 note 4 The Ghanaian Times, 1 December 1969.

Page 248 note 5 Cf Nye, J. S., ‘Corruption and Political Development: a cost-benefit analysis’, in The American Political Science Review (Menasha), LVI, 2, 06 1967, p. 417.Google Scholar

Page 248 note 6 The functionalist approach is summarised by van Roy, Edward, ‘On the Theory of Corruption’, in Economic Development and Cultural Change (Chicago), XIX, 1, 10 1970, p. 87,Google Scholar and by Heidenheimer, Arnold J. in his useful Political Corruption: readings in comparative analysis (New York, 1970), pp. 479–86.Google Scholar

Page 249 note 1 Nathaniel H. Leff, ‘Economic Development through Bureaucratic Corruption’, in Heidenheimer, op. cit. p. 516.

Page 249 note 2 Cf. Huntington, Samuel P., Political Order in Changing Societies (New Haven, 1968), p.69.Google Scholar

Page 249 note 3 Dwivedi, O. P., ‘The Case for Bureaucratic Corruption’, in Dalby, Michael T. and Werthman, Michael S. (eds.), Bureaucracy in Historical Perspective (Glenview, III., 1971), p. 93.Google Scholar

Page 250 note 1 Van Roy, loc. cit. pp. 88 and 101.

Page 250 note 2 Bayley, David H., ‘The Effects of Corruption in a Developing Nation’, in Western Political Quarterly (Salt Lake City), XIX, 4, 12 1966, pp. 719–32.Google Scholar

Page 250 note 3 Nye, loc. cit. pp. 417–27.

Page 251 note 1 Yeboa-Konadu, K., ‘Corruption and Our Search for Democracy’, in The Ghanaian Times, 25 11 1969.Google Scholar

Page 251 note 2 Ibid. 24 Jaunary 1970.

Page 251 note 3 Omari, T. Peter, Kwame Nkrumah (Accra, 1970), p. 60.Google Scholar

Page 251 note 4 Kwaminia, loc. cit. p. 7.

Page 252 note 1 Apaloo, Fred Kwasi, Chairman, , Report of the Commission to Enquire into the Kwame Nkrumah Properties (Accra-Tema, 1966), pp. 11 and 1415.Google Scholar

Page 252 note 2 Crabbe, S. Azu, Chairman, , Report of the Commission to Enquire into the Affairs of NADECO Limited (Accra-Tema, 1966), pp. 1314 and 44.Google Scholar

Page 252 note 3 Ollennu, N. A., Chairman, , Summary of the Report of the Commission of Enquiry into Irregularities and Malpractices in the Grant of Import Licences (Accra-Tema, 1966):Google Scholar ‘If the right hand washes the left hand, the left hand in turn washes the right.’ This was allegedly a favourite expression of one of Nkrumah's ministers for issuing the import licences; ibid. p. 13.

Page 252 note 4 Cf. Kraus, Jon, ‘Arms and Politics in Ghana’, in Welch, Claude E. (ed.), Soldier and State in Africa (Evanston, 1970), pp. 188–9.Google Scholar I personally observed several of the commissions in session and was impressed with their judiciousness.

Page 252 note 5 Yao, Togbi, Sunday Mirror (Accra), 13 04 1969.Google Scholar

Page 252 note 6 Ofosu-Appiah, L. H., ‘The Generation Gap in Ghana’, in Daily Graphic, II 07 1970.Google Scholar

Page 253 note 1 Apter, David E., Ghana in Transition (New York, 1963), p. 6.Google Scholar

Page 253 note 2 Bassa-Quansah, Y., ‘The Corrosive Effect of Kinship on National Efficiency’, in Insight (Accra), I, 2, 06, 1966, p. 47.Google Scholar

Page 253 note 3 Abraham, W. E., The Mind of Africa (Chicago, 1962), pp. 66–7.Google Scholar

Page 254 note 1 Nkrumah, Kwame, Dark Days in Ghana (New York, 1968), p. 66.Google Scholar

Page 254 note 2 Peasah, loc. cit. p. 12.

Page 254 note 3 Abraham, op. cit. p. 67.

Page 254 note 4 Wiredu, J. E., ‘How to Build a Dictatorship Again in Ghana’, in The Legon Observer, 5 01 1968.Google Scholar

Page 254 note 5 Ebow Mends, ‘Traditional Values and Bribery and Corruption’, ibid. 4 December 1970, pp. 13–14.

Page 255 note 1 Dark Days in Ghana, pp. 38–9.

Page 255 note 2 Gamesu, Publius, The Legon Observer, 22 05 1970, p. 2.Google Scholar

Page 255 note 3 Anoyke, J. K., ‘Big Threat to Democracy’, in The Ghanaian Times, 13 02 1970.Google Scholar

Page 255 note 4 Mensah, J. H., Chairman, , Report of the Commission on Review of Salaries and Pensions in the Public Services of Ghana (Accra-Tema, 1969), p. 63.Google Scholar

Page 255 note 5 Gyasi, I. K., ‘Ghanaians Too Are to Blame’, in The Ghanaian Times, 13 02 1970.Google Scholar

Page 256 note 1 Cf. Oman, op. cit. pp. 59–60.

Page 256 note 2 The Ghanaian Times, 14 October, 1969.

Page 256 note 3 Quaidoo, P. K. K., ‘Problems of Government: alliance of power and freedom’, in Insight, II, 2, 05 1967, p. 14.Google Scholar

Page 256 note 4 Adu, A. L., The Civil Service in Commonwealth Africa (London, 1969), p. 239.Google Scholar

Page 257 note 1 Akyea-Djamson, E. K., Chairman, , Interim and Final Reports of the Commission of Enquiry into the Accra-Tema City Council (Accra-Tema, 1969), pp. 100–2.Google Scholar

Page 257 note 2 Essah, K. S., Chairman, , Report of the Committee of Enquiry into the Affairs of the State Publishing Corporation (Accra-Tema, 1969), pp. 5 and 1920.Google Scholar

Page 257 note 3 Dark Days in Ghana, p. 39.

Page 257 note 4 Mills-Odoi, G. C., Chairman, , Report of the Commission on the Structure and Remuneration of the Public Services in Ghana (Accra-Tema, 1967), p. 28.Google Scholar

Page 257 note 5 Mensah, Report, p. 26.Google Scholar

Page 257 note 6 Siriboe, J. B., Chairman, , Report of the Commission of Enquiry into Electoral and Local Government Reform (Accra-Tema, 1968), Pt. 3, p. 27.Google Scholar

Page 257 note 7 Anderson, D. A., ‘Reorganization of the Public Services in Ghana’, in The Task of the Administrator in Developing Societies: report of the sixth Inter-African Public Administration Seminar (Achimota, 1967).Google Scholar

Page 258 note 1 Siriboe, Report, p. 57.Google Scholar

Page 258 note 2 The Ghanaian Times, 11 February 1970.

Page 258 note 3 Ibid. 16 Jaunary 1970.

Page 258 note 4 Baako, Kofi, ‘The Party, the Government, and the Public Services’, in O & M Bulletin (Accra), 6, 07 1964, p. 12.Google Scholar

Page 258 note 5 Bame, K. N., ‘Politics without Parties’, in The Legon Observer, 19 08 1966.Google Scholar

Page 258 note 6 Daily Graphic, 2 April 1969.

Page 259 note 1 Totoe, T. A., Chairman, , Report of the Commission of Enquiry into the Affairs of the Kumasi City Council (Accra-Tema, 1969), pp. 2635.Google Scholar

Page 259 note 2 Akyea-Djamson, Report, pp. 47 and 108.Google Scholar

Page 259 note 3 Gaisie, Edmund B., Chairman, , Report of the Commission…to Enquire into the Affairs of the Sekondi-Takoradi City Council (Accra-Tema, 1970), pp. 823.Google Scholar

Page 259 note 4 Akyea-Djamson, Report, p. 220.Google Scholar

Page 259 note 5 Kwaminia, loc. cit. p. 7.

Page 260 note 1 Totoe, Report, pp. 6872.Google Scholar

Page 260 note 2 Tsegah, S. A. X., Chairman, , Report of the Committee of Enquiry into the State Furniture and Joinery Corporation (Accra-Tema, 1967), pp. 33–7.Google Scholar

Page 260 note 3 Bretton, Henry, The Rise and Fall of Kwame Nkrumah (New York, 1966), p. 81.Google Scholar

Page 260 note 4 Gardiner, John, The Politics of Corruption (New York, 1970), pp. 80 and 85–6.Google Scholar

Page 260 note 5 Esseks, John F., ‘Government and Indigenous Private Enterprise in Ghana’, in The Journal of Modern African Studies (Cambridge), IX, 1, 05 1971, pp. 1129.Google Scholar

Page 261 note 1 Sam, Ernest G., ‘War on Bribery and Corruption’, in The Ghanaian Times, 22 11 1969.Google Scholar

Page 261 note 2 Akyea-Djamson, Report, pp. 201–6.Google Scholar

Page 261 note 3 Dark Days in Ghana, p. 65.

Page 262 note 1 Omari, op. cit. p. 2.

Page 262 note 2 Crabbe, Report, pp. 43–4.Google Scholar

Page 262 note 3 Kwaminia, loc. cit. p. 7.

Page 263 note 1 Ibid.

Page 263 note 2 Bassa-Quansah, loc. cit. p. 49.

Page 263 note 3 Khan, Lawrence, ‘Towards Public Morality’, in The Star (Accra), 17 06 1970.Google Scholar

Page 263 note 4 Mends, loc. cit. p. 14.

Page 263 note 5 Ofusu-Appiah, loc. cit. p. 5.

Page 263 note 6 See Hayward, Fred M., ‘Ghana Experiments with Civic Education’, in Africa Report (New York), XVI, 5, 05 1971, pp. 24–7.Google Scholar

Page 263 note 7 Yao, Togbi, ‘Is Ghana a Star Gazer?’, in Sunday Mirror (Accra), 7 06 1970.Google Scholar

Page 263 note 8 Ibid. 13 April 1969.

Page 264 note 1 Afreh, Kwame, ‘The Proof of Corruption’, in The Legon Observer, 23 05 1969.Google Scholar

Page 264 note 2 ‘The Law's Delays, and the High Cost of Litigation’, ibid. 14. March 1969.

Page 264 note 3 See Werlin, Herbert H., ‘Elasticity of Control: an analysis of decentralization’, in Journal of Comparative Administration (Beverly Hills), II, 2, 08 1970, pp. 185209,Google Scholar and ‘The Nairobi City Council: a study in comparative local government’, in Comparative Studies in Society and History (Cambridge), VIII, 2, 01 1966, pp. 183–6.Google Scholar

Page 264 note 4 Omari, op. cit. pp. 573–4.

Page 265 note 1 Ghana News (Accra), IV, 1, February–March 1972.

Page 265 note 2 ‘Party, Politics, and Corruption’, in Weekly Spectator (Accra), 26 02 1972.Google Scholar

Page 265 note 3 Daily Graphic, 11 Jaunary 1972.

Page 265 note 4 Ibid. 24 Jaunary 1972.

Page 265 note 5 Cf. Observer Notebook, ‘Bribery and Corruption’, in The Legon Observer, 11 02 1972.Google Scholar

Page 265 note 6 Sibidow, S. M., ‘They Preached Virtue and Practised Vice’, in Daily Graphic, 29 02 1972.Google Scholar

Page 266 note 1 Arhin, Kwame, ‘Urgently Needed – a Genuine Revolution’, in The Legon Observer, 19 11 1971.Google Scholar