International corporate lawyer and entrepreneur Victoria Bright has criticised public officials who evade accountability, saying anyone unwilling to answer for their actions has no business holding public office.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, January 17, during discussions on Ghanaian fugitives detained in the United States, Ms Bright said public officials must be ready to account for their actions both during and after their time in office.
“You should be prepared to account for it, whether during your tenure or after your tenure, without being seen to be running away from that responsibility. Accountability to the people of Ghana in public office is non-negotiable.”
“If you are not prepared to be accountable, then don’t hold the office. Nobody forces anybody to hold public office. The president will offer it to you, and you are free to say thank you, Your Excellency, or no, this is too much for me,” she added.
Ms Bright described the situation involving a former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, as deeply troubling and damaging to the country’s image.
“It’s a bit sad that a former minister of this country has allowed himself to be branded as a legal alien. That’s unfortunate because we expect better of the people whom we nominate to the highest offices of this nation,” she said.
She said the issue went beyond personal shame and reflected badly on Ghana as a whole.
“I think it’s embarrassing. Quite apart from the personal embarrassment, it’s not a good place for us to be, to have someone who has held one of the highest offices in this country in the situation he finds himself in.”
She pointed out that Ghana cannot distance itself from the matter, especially given official confirmation that the case is being treated differently because of the individual’s former status.
“As we’ve been told by the embassy, it’s been treated as a special case precisely because of the position that he occupied formally. Whether we like it or not, there’s a Ghana angle there, and it’s just not a good look.”
Despite her concerns, Ms Bright said it was right for the government to pursue former officials who are alleged to have committed wrongdoing, particularly those who managed public resources.
“For me, it’s the right direction of travel for the government to be going after people who are deemed to have done certain things and need to come back to explain to the people of Ghana. In Ken’s case, he was a custodian of the public purse.”
She said that accountability is not optional for those who accept public office. “All public office holders must know that from the minute you sit in that office, you are accountable to the people of Ghana. Whatever you are superintending over is not yours, it’s ours,” she said.
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