In Ghana, public officials traditionally place a hand on the Bible or Qur’an, invoking God and pledging fidelity to the Constitution and the people. However, decades of scandals, audit queries, and a persistent lack of accountability have led many Ghanaians to question the efficacy of these solemn oaths, suggesting that the ceremony has become a hollow ritual signifying little in the face of widespread public purse mismanagement.
The Pervasive Culture of Mismanagement
The disconnect between public pronouncements of integrity and the reality of governance is a recurring theme in Ghana. Numerous high-profile scandals, including the Woyome judgment debt saga, the GYEEDA and SADA affairs, and the National Service ghost-name scandal, illustrate how vast sums of taxpayer money have been lost or mismanaged. Even the Airbus scandal, which involved allegations of corrupt influence, concluded with investigations that did not result in criminal proceedings, leaving the public with a sense of unresolved unease and constant scandal.
These spectacular national scandals are mirrored by a more insidious, everyday leakage of funds at the district and municipal levels. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearings, particularly those examining the Auditor-General’s findings on Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and public schools, highlight these persistent issues. Recent PAC directives have ordered the recovery of funds from former officers for unauthorized salary payments, demonstrating a normalization of administrative theft that erodes public trust incrementally.
Auditor-General’s Findings Paint a Grim Picture
Data from the Auditor-General’s office provides a stark quantitative overview of the problem. In the 2024 report on district assemblies, total irregularities amounted to GH¢18.88 million. Cash irregularities constituted the largest portion at GH¢15.31 million, followed by payroll (GH¢1.50 million), contracts (GH¢1.21 million), assets and stores management (GH¢431,364.84), and tax irregularities (GH¢429,477.71). The failure of some assemblies, like Builsa South, to submit financial statements by statutory deadlines further exacerbates the lack of oversight.
A decade-long review of Auditor-General reports on MMDAs revealed a staggering GH¢242.84 million in irregularities. Absurdities such as assemblies spending more on revenue collectors than the revenue collected underscore a systemic issue that goes beyond isolated incidents. This points to a broader culture of administrative carelessness, impunity, and institutional weakness rather than a few rogue officials.
Documentation Gaps Undermine Scrutiny
Compounding the problem of financial mismanagement is the persistent issue of poor documentation and incomplete records. The PAC chair has repeatedly emphasized that record-keeping remains a significant challenge in public finance management. Gaps in special audit reports, particularly the absence of key integrity details, hinder effective scrutiny even when the state attempts to investigate financial discrepancies. This makes it difficult to trace funds, assign responsibility, and ensure accountability.
The Symbolism vs. Substance of Oaths
The core of the issue lies in the perception that public oath-taking has become a symbolic gesture, devoid of meaningful enforcement. While the moral teachings of religious texts like the Bible and Qur’an prohibit theft and dishonesty, their invocation in public office has not deterred corrupt practices. The problem is not with the sacred texts themselves, but with the lack of robust systems to uphold the integrity of public service.
Sacred language cannot substitute for concrete accountability mechanisms. Ghana needs to move beyond ceremonial props and implement systems such as asset declarations, real-time expenditure tracking, clean payroll controls, procurement transparency, public access to financial accounts, and swift prosecution for proven theft. Institutions, rather than religious symbolism, are crucial for restraining those who are shameless in their pursuit of personal gain.
Lessons from International Models
Ghana can draw valuable lessons from countries that have successfully combated corruption through institutional strength rather than religious symbolism. Singapore, for instance, ranks high on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index due to its robust framework of laws, adjudication, enforcement, and public administration, supported by strong political will. Its anti-corruption efforts are not premised on oaths but on a comprehensive institutional approach.
New Zealand’s Oaths and Declarations Act offers another perspective, allowing for secular affirmations as an alternative to religious oaths, thereby separating personal faith from public integrity. Public duty is treated as legally binding regardless of religious belief, emphasizing that accountability stems from the constitution, laws, and public demand, not from the presence of scripture.
Sweden’s principle of public access to official documents further highlights the importance of transparency. By making government records accessible, concealment becomes more difficult, and public scrutiny is strengthened. Implementing similar transparency measures in Ghana’s public institutions would make it harder to hide financial irregularities.
Moving Towards Systemic Accountability
The real challenge for Ghana is not the presence or absence of religious texts in oath-taking ceremonies, but the commitment to building a system where symbolic gestures are matched by tangible consequences. This requires a shift from ritual to rules, from ceremony to systems, and from appearances of holiness to the hard architecture of accountability.
Until Ghana strengthens its institutions, improves transparency, enforces disallowance and surcharge, and ensures swift prosecution for financial misconduct, the cycle of hollow oaths and troubling audit reports will persist. The future of public trust in Ghana hinges on its willingness to embrace secular certainty in accountability, ensuring that officials fear both God and the law.
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