Professor Joseph Atsu Ayeh, a lecturer in political science at the University of Ghana, believes that if governments depoliticize the appointment process in state institutions, Ghana’s ranking on the most recent corruption percentage index could shift.
The political science lecturer thinks that Ghana’s stagnant ranking of 43rd on the index is partly due to weaker institutions and the appointment of incompetent people.
Professor Atsu Ayeh suggested that before making any changes to the general election date—which is currently set for November rather than December—major stakeholders should be consulted.
Speaking at the Department of Political Science’s third annual colloquium at the University of Education Winneba, Professor Ayeh urged the government to think about making adjustments to guarantee Ghana’s ranking on the index changes.
Making our institutions stronger is one of the things I would like to draw attention to if we as Ghanaians want to see a change in our ratings. It seems like we haven’t been able to get past the politicization of institutional appointments. It is now time for the nation to address the issue of selecting qualified candidates for open positions. I think that all political parties have competent members; therefore, if the parties wish to appoint people to various positions, they should concentrate on that. Although it appears that politics has taken over everything, this is still possible, according to Professor Joseph Atsu.
“Reforms, in my opinion, are about changing how we do things and bringing in important stakeholders in the process. You know, elections can be controversial in this country, which is why we need to consult with important parties before making any changes. I disagree with the December 7th election date because it is too close at that point and becomes challenging if there is a run-off. I think it’s time for reforms, and the November date is good because it will give the electoral commission enough time to prepare,” Professor Ayeh stated.
