Member of Parliament for Akim Oda Constituency, Hon. Alexander Akwasi Acquah, has urged Ghanaians to broaden their understanding of corruption beyond political figures, arguing that public servants and technocrats often play a key role in enabling the practice.
Speaking on The Verdict with Isaac Addae on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, Hon. Acquah explained that politicians cannot execute corrupt deals without the expertise or cooperation of civil servants who know how to navigate systems and processes.
“A lot of times, when we talk about corruption, the focus is on politicians. But you see, for any politician who has the ability to be corrupt, he needs to be assisted by public servants, a technocrat. Because it’s the technocrat who can tell you, ‘this is how you can do it,’” he stated.
Recounting a personal experience, the MP revealed how he once resisted pressure to sign a document without proper scrutiny, a move that later revealed attempts to manipulate the process.
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“I remember they brought me a document for me to sign. There was pressure for me to sign there and then, but I said no, I want to read. They put some urgency on it. So I took it and read it, and I realised I wasn’t comfortable with some of the paragraphs and got them changed before I signed,” he shared.
Hon. Acquah stressed that many corruption cases could be curtailed if more oversight and accountability measures were placed on technocrats who advise and prepare official documents for politicians.
“If we are going to focus our attention on technocrats, we are going to cut corruption levels drastically. If you don’t find a way to work with them, they are the same people to sabotage you,” he cautioned.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Barbara Yeboah
