Member of Parliament for the Akim Oda Constituency, Hon. Alexander Akwasi Acquah, has encouraged Ghanaians to expand their understanding of corruption to include public servants and technocrats, who often play a significant role in facilitating corrupt practices. In an appearance on The Verdict with Isaac Addae on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, Hon. Acquah explained that politicians cannot carry out corrupt activities without the expertise or collaboration of civil servants who understand how to navigate systems and processes.
“A lot of the time, when we talk about corruption, we focus primarily on politicians. However, for any politician to engage in corrupt actions, they need assistance from public servants and technocrats,” he stated. “These technocrats can inform them, ‘This is how you can do it.’”
Citing a personal experience, the MP recounted how he once resisted pressure to sign a document without proper review, which later exposed attempts to manipulate the process. “I remember a document was brought to me for signature. There was pressure to sign it immediately, but I insisted on taking the time to read it.
They emphasised urgency, but I decided to review it first. Upon reading, I became uncomfortable with some paragraphs and requested changes before affixing my signature,” 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 will sabotage you,” he cautioned.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Barbara Yeboah
