Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Kwame Asah-Asante, has criticised Ghanaian politicians for what he describes as sheer hypocrisy in their handling of the controversy involving a dollar gift from NDC Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, to self-styled evangelist Patricia Oduro Koranteng, popularly known as Nana Agradaa.
He described the situation as unfortunate, but cautioned against treating it in isolation.
“It is unfortunate that what happened has happened. It is borne out of indiscretion, nothing more, nothing less. So my view is that the government will investigate and take an appropriate decision on that,” he stated on the AM Show on Joy News.
The political scientist acknowledged Sammy Gyamfi’s public apology, describing it as a step in the right direction. “Once you do that, it shows remorse. You have to show remorse, and it’s in there. There is also the fact that you have weighed your actions and, for that matter, you want to assure the public that there will not be a repeat of such action,” he explained.
Dr Asah-Asante noted that accepting responsibility voluntarily is a key part of good governance. “It is a fine thing in politics that once you realise that you have gone wrong, you, on your own volition, come out to say that you are wrong. That is in line with governance processes.”
However, he said the larger issue lies in the double standards that characterise Ghanaian political life. “Another issue that I can find in this area is the issue of hypocrisy in Ghanaian politics. I am not saying this to defend Sammy Gyamfi or whoever, but the hypocrisy here is that if you look at people giving gifts to their followers or their party people, look, a lot of political parties and politicians are guilty in this country.”
He cited a common practice among MPs that goes unchallenged.
“There are MPs who complain that their constituents besiege them in their offices and take money from them. Have we, as a society, commented on that?”.
Dr Asah-Asante also dismissed suggestions that the act would have been acceptable had it been done in private. “Some are saying Sammy should’ve given the money in private—that would’ve passed. But you ask yourself, if it’s not okay in public, will it be okay in private? You see the hypocrisy in here.”
He pointed to a cultural dilemma in reconciling traditional values with professional ethics.
“We have been socialised as a society to give to the needy, to support and lend a helping hand. But when we do this, we are also caught in the ethics of our profession that say you shouldn’t do this or that.”
He warned that this confusion could present challenges for public officers in future.
“There is a danger ahead of us as to whether people, especially public officers, can help those in need without coming under fire.”
Dr Asah-Asante also highlighted gaps in the code of conduct regarding the giver of gifts.
“If you read the code of conduct, it is silent on the giver of a gift but talks about the recipient. What happens to the one who gives, and the person who receives and puts pressure on you? There are a lot of big conversations around this.”
He concluded with a call for national reflection.
“In light of societal demands and all that, I will urge people to reflect on the fact that, as a Ghanaian society, giving gifts or accepting gifts, is it wrong or is it not? If there’s a way we have to look at it, let’s look at it.”
Source: Myjoyonline.com
