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Widespread corruption puts freedom of movement under siege
By Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, Ghanadot
Accra, Oct 23, Ghanadot - One of the goals of the Economic
Community of West African State (ECOWAS) is to promote economic
growth in the sub-region by facilitating the free movement of
people and goods.
But, this goal has been shattered by widespread corruption among
member states, especially along the Tema-Ouagadougou trade
corridor.
This corridor connects Ghana’s leading dock and industrial
centre to Burkina Faso’s capital and centre of commerce.
It is said that the Tema-Ouagadougou route is one of leading
routes in the West African trade hub.
The route is 1057Km and consists of 881Km in Ghana and 176Km in
Burkina Faso.
However, recent data by the Legal Resource Centre (LRC) revealed
widespread corruption on the route.
Undoubtedly, this undermines ECOWAS objectives of promoting free
movement of goods and persons within the sub-region.
Indeed, these corrupt practices also violate the fundamental
right to the freedom of movement as guaranteed under article 21
of the 1992 Ghana Constitution.
According to data gathered in September and October, 2009, by
the Legal Resource Centre three teams disclosed serious delays
and widespread corruption all along the Tema-Ouagadougou trade
corridor.
They revealed that in Ghana, drivers paid anywhere from GH¢2 to
GH¢4 in bribes per stop, with Custom, Excise and Preventive
Services (CEPS) officers accepting no less than GH¢3.
Therefore over the course of a journey from Tema to Ouagadougou,
these individual stops can add up to GH¢100.
On any given day the number of trucks plying the route can reach
120, therefore, the total amount in bribes collected can reach
GH¢12,000 per day, GH¢84,000 per week, GH¢360,000 per month and
GH¢4,380,000 per year.
In addition, each stop causes delays particularly when drivers
try to bargain. On every journey, drivers were delayed anywhere
from 5minutes to 20 minutes per stop.
At the Ghanaian border, Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) officers
collected a minimum of GH¢5 in bribes per person and often asked
for more.
They intimated that in one instance, a traveler with all
required documentation crossing the Ghana border into Burkina
Faso was requested to pay GH¢20 and when offered to pay only GH¢15,
he was detained in police custody for not less than 45 minutes,
while those who were unable to pay were not allowed to cross the
border.
Furthermore, foreign nationals traveling to Ghana are stopped
more frequently and pay higher bribes than their Ghanaian
counterparts.
The groups disclosed that businessmen traveling from Kumasi to
Paga endured 19 stops by police and CEPS, and paid a total of GH¢48
in bribes per person.
Their trip took 12 hours to complete. Ghanaians on the other
hand, took 10 hours with 15 stops and a total of GH¢35 in bribes
per person.
These practices are a direct violation of obligations under the
ECOWAS Treaty to “grant full and unrestricted freedom of transit
through its territory for goods proceeding to or from a third
country…and such transit shall not be subject to any
discrimination, quantitative restrictions, duties or other
charges.”
The LRC further added that there are more stops in Ghana than in
Burkina Faso. Drivers are unlawfully charged a total of 20,000
CFA to enter Burkina Faso and 12,000 CFA to exit.
However, once inside Burkina Faso there are not less than three
stops before Ouagadougou.
The centre noted that travelers paid 1000 CFA at one of the
custom checkpoints. Drivers must also pay 50 CFA at a toll
booth.
Most drivers who ply the route confirmed this disparity, with
one driver stating “Ghana custom is more corrupt than the
Burkina people”.
Because of the widespread practice of corruption along the Tema-Ouagadougou
route, drivers and traders are growing to accept bribery and
long delays as the order of the day.
Some drivers set bribe money aside for police, customs and
immigration officers along the route. Such additional costs are
one of the reasons why transportation in West Africa is the most
inefficient and most expensive in the world.
Inevitably, these higher costs of transport are added on to the
price of goods and are passed on to consumers in Ghana and
neighbouring countries.
In addition, delays caused by corruption an unnecessary
roadblocks lead to the deterioration of perishable goods.
The loss of perishable goods is particularly significant in a
country like Ghana where the economy is so heavily dependent on
agricultural products. It is clear that by failing to curb
corruption along the Tema-Ouagadougou trade corridor, the
Ghanaian government is depriving Ghanaians and other ECOW AS
citizens of the very economic benefits the ECOWAS Treaty was
supposed to provide.
There is no better time for the Ghanaian government to commit to
the eradication of corruption along the Tema-Ouagadougou trade
corridor.
Additionally, according to the 8th report released by the
Improved Road Transport Governance (IRGT) Initiative on
interstate corridors, commercial activity in West Africa has
declined and transport prices have increased.
But, a decrease in corruption will lower some of the existing
transportation costs making it more affordable for traders to
operate in the region-a much needed boost during these difficult
economic times.
On the whole, the LRC is deeply concerned with the corruption in
Ghana generally.
"We are more as concerned with corruption along
the Tema-Ouagadougou trade corridor as a blind eye defeats the
very essence of our obligations under the ECOWAS Protocol.
"The centre wishes to call on the Attorney General and Minister
for Justice, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of
Interior and all the other relevant stakeholders to call to
order those who are involved in corruption along our trade
corridors, especially, the Tema-Ouagadougou trade corridor,"
an official said.
We need to bring meaning to the ratification of the ECOWAS
Protocol and our 1992 Constitution and its provisions on the
freedom of movement in Ghana.
Ghanadot
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