Food For Thought For Martin Amidu?

When President Mills dismissed Mr. Martin Amidu as his administration's attorney general, I told a few of the leading lights in the National Democratic Congress (NDC), that it was a miscalculation that no amount of spin could prevent from permanently damaging the Mills regime - and that it would come back to haunt their party one day.

There was also a time when I used to urge the NDC - in my writing - to drop President Mills and Vice President John Mahama, and replace them with Martin Amidu as president and Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings as vice president.

It was my humble view that that could be achieved by first getting John Mahama to resign as vice president - and replacing him with Martin Amidu.

Shortly after that, Mills would also then resign as president, and be succeeded by Martin Amidu - who would then pick Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings as his vice president.

It was my humble view at the time that it was a neat solution to the painfull reality that Mills and Mahama had lost all credibility with Ghanaians - and would never win the 2012 presidential election.

So there is no question that I have always had the highest regard for the incorruptible Martin Amidu. That is why I find his diatribe against Anas Amereyaw so puzzling and disconcerting.

What exactly is he seeking to achieve by attacking Anas Amereyaw's work and methods as an investigative journalist?

The general consensus in Ghana today, is that corruption poses the single biggest threat to the long-term stability of Ghana.

I am pretty sure that Mr. Martin Amidu would agree wholeheartedly with that - as, if high-level corruption is not curbed,  its debilitating effects on sections of society, that result from the siphoning off government revenues into private pockets, which otherwise could be used to improve living standards generally, might eventually lead to social upheavel in Ghana.

As a people, if we are to succeed in bringing high-level corruption under control, it must be fought on the basis that like terrorism, it poses an existential threat to our nation - and use unorthodox methods, including deploying the most creative crime-fighting strategies possible, if need be, to expose it.

That is what will provide law enforcement agencies with the hard evidence needed to ensure that those guilty of high-level corruption can be successfully prosecuted and jailed for their egregious crimes against Ghanaians.

I am also sure that Mr. Martin Amidu would agree that no man or woman of genuine honour, who has integrity, will ever fall for any inducement at the heart of any entrapment scheme designed to expose corruption - because by definition an honest man or woman acts honourably at all material times, be it in public, or in private, away from the public gaze: and will never accept bribes under any circumstances.

 If we can only win the fight against terrorism by empowering the State to use all the means necessary to achieve that desirable end, then, in similar vein, if we are ever to bring high-level corruption under control in Ghana, we must also use the very same unorthodox and legally-grey methods that even democratic nations like the US and the UK, are now resorting to, to fight global terrorism.

That is why I humbly submit that the methods used by Anas Amereyaw as an investigative journalist to expose high-level corruption in all spheres of our national life (including the justice delivery system) are appropriate and lawful - for the constitution enjoins all Ghanaians to fight corruption.

Corruption, which is an unlawful and secretive phenomenon, by its very nature, cannot be successfully exposed, by using traditional legal methods.

Anas Amereyaw's methods used in his investigative journalism practice, are perfectly suited to exposing the corrupt individuals in our midst, some of whom have such enormous power and influence in Ghanaian society, that they can exploit every legal loophole there is, and successfully bribe their way out of virtually every possible situation, to enable them escape punishment.

Such individuals are a menace to Ghana and its people - and Mr. Martin Amidu must come to terms with the fact that Anas Amereyaw's methods in exposing high-level corruption, have been amongst the most effective ever deployed, in the varied inter-agency strategies used to expose high-level corruption, in Ghana, thus far.

Anas Amereyaw deserves the support of all anti-corruption campaigners in Ghana - including Mr. Martin Amidu. Food for thought, for the good, decent and incorruptible Mr. Amidu, perhaps?