Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, a politician cum businessman, has said Ghana is losing its moral authority. “I am afraid for Ghana because we seem not to care about moral authority,†he stated on his facebook page.
Moral authority
Moral authority is defined by some as principles or fundamental truths, which are independent of written or positive laws.
As such, moral authority necessitates the existence of and adherence to truth.
But in the view of Dr Nduom, in Ghana most politicians have sworn never to toe the path of moral authority.
For instance, he reasoned that when high-level party officials and ministers of state openly shared money and material things on voting day in Amenfi West to win votes and then turn round to tell Ghanaians that the votes had confirmed the good works of their administration, we must question where our moral authority is. Does the end justify the means?â€
Public purse
He asked: “When the public purse is used to mount billboards, fuel vehicles, transport supporters to political rallies, do we have a level playing field for elections in Ghana?â€
According to the 2012 Presidential Candidate of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) “Win by all means, win at all cost led us to GYEEDA and the rest. And we the people are still paying for the deficit that funded somebody's campaign.â€
Dr Nduom also pointed out that when in the name of solving ‘dumsor’, we try to do so by any means, possible, at any cost, so much so that a deputy minister can say openly on radio that the fraud allegation against one of those who played a key role in the AMERI Power transaction with government was irrelevant because he did not sign on behalf of Ghana, then where did our principles go?
Furthermore, he said when the Minister of Agriculture said “it is lazy analysis to suggest that the declining contribution of agriculture to Ghana's GDP is a source of worry to government, then what has happened to truth? If this does not worry the government, it definitely is a source of worry to the citizens.â€
Important agreement
Additionally, he wondered whether “when the government decides that important agreements should be rushed consistently to Parliament under certificates of urgency or when the legislature is about to rise for a break, this compromises truth, principles and good governance. This practice has given rise to AMERI Power, STX Korea, China EXIM loan, etc.â€
Finally, Dr Nduom noted that when the constitution exempted the President from paying tax, who would demand that the average worker, trader, professional and business person pay tax? With what moral authority?
“Where is our moral authority?†Dr Nduom, who is also the President and CEO of GN Groupe, asked.
He, therefore, entreated the Association of Ghana Industries, Chamber of Commerce, Private Enterprise Foundation, among other stakeholders, to lead the fight to demand a better nation than what pertained now.
Dr Nduom said the key visible problem facing Ghana had to do with its economy, industrialisation and development, saying, “when a nation loses its moral compass, it courts disaster, chaos, indiscipline and failure. It is a sure path to becoming a failed state.â€