It is impossible for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to fight corruption in government as he promised ahead of the 2016 elections, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has said.

“I listened to Nana. He says that he is going to contain corruption. He fought three wars all funded by people. He thinks all the people are Father Christmas? It is not possible, this is not possible… He is my friend. We’ve been together for many years and he is very senior to me in both age and in profession and politics and everything, but I know a bit of him, it’s not possible; it’s just the usual mantra. Until we do what I’m saying, you can’t stamp out corruption,” Mr Bagbin told Class News’ Kwesi Parker-Wilson in an interview on Thursday 8 June.

According to the lawmaker, it is expensive to become a political leader in Ghana because it requires advertisement on big billboards with lots of branded cars and motorbikes needing strong financial backing and until that process of becoming a leader is changed, corruption will continue.

He said: “One of the serious challenges in this country is how we can handle sycophants, hypocrites, and bootlickers. That is a serious challenge, but it is because of the system, the process of getting into office. It is because of that process.

“As a country, I believe strongly if we really want to develop, we have to relook at our electoral system, how we elect leaders. We have to regulate it. We have to reduce the monetisation of politics. We have to let people know that it is public business, it is not private business…

“What we should do is that the state must play an active role and platforms must be created by the state for the candidates to come and compete there. The state must be involved in the crafting of manifestos so that when people are writing something you know it’s not implementable, it’s just a path, you will let them know.

“The candidates must be able to declare their sources of income, where they are getting the money to campaign, and they must also tell you how they utilise the money. We must be able to reduce waste. These billboards, vehicles, and motorbikes – it’s too expensive to be a political leader in Ghana and that is the beginning of corruption, because the people who give you that [money] are investing and so when you are in that position you have to pay back.”