On the battle against corruption

Kweku Danso, Ph.D

February 04, 2014

I have lived in America for 45 years and never saw any issue of

(1) Public disagreement,

(2) shady suspected government deals or scandal,

(3) malfeasance, dissatisfaction,

(4) contractor poor materials or construction causing financial losses,

that did not end up in court!!

As we write the New Jersey Governor is in deep trouble when his office with or without his knowledge, ordered the State transportation department to close down some Highway lanes leading to one town where the Mayor is a Democrat and did not endorse the Governor during the elections! They already have a legal inquiry going on, after which the man, if found to have known about it and lied in his public statements, will be indicted, then impeached by the State Legislature, and possible go to prison!!

In Ghana cocaine can turn into baking powder and nobody knows what to do!

Gold bars shipped by Aircraft to Dubai can turn into Iron rods and nobody knows what to do?

What do I tell my late grandfather when we meet in land yonder about what we gained from Education? What is Komla Dumor going to tell grandfather over there? That he was a good speaker and promoted by BBC, but the open gutters were still around and Agbogbloshie was still the same, and water and electricity being rationed when he was departing? Huh!

Look, America’s greatness and that of most western nations have not come about due to superior intellect alone but application to make laws, enforce them, and discipline in culture! Period! If you read Lee Kuan Yew, he mentions discipline as the only difference he could see difference between his nations success and other third world nations and cites how at the Commonwealth nations conference he saw nations with 1-2 Airplanes attend with the Prime Minister or President, ignoring the needs of the whole nation for the 3 days conference.

And on legal funds to keep corruption in check, Kweku Danso writes

Look, we all like to talk and I am personally past that age and period and have more important things to do than read and chat about Ghana. ....  If other lawyers want to engage us and see areas we can use the Law to help our nation, let us discuss and we will pay the money!  What I don’t want is the give-me-the-money first without dialogue. No! We are all educated and intelligent. After all, how many here cannot afford to pay say $25-50 per month towards this fund if they know their country is going to be made better?

To me, it’s not the money but the commitment of an Attorney. However for the sake of Rev. Lawyer George Asomaning Agbetor, we will go ahead and set up the fund and see how many here just like to shoot the breeze, as they say, or do something serious for their nation legally beyond the patapaa useless utterances as one SC Judge said.

Kwaku A. Danso, PhD (Email: dansojfk@gmail.com)

(President, Ghana Leadership Union, Inc(NGO) and Moderator, GLU Forum.