Yaw Nsarkoh Critiques Ghana’s Opaque Political Financing and Democracy

Yaw Nsarkoh, former Unilever executive, criticizes Ghana’s lack of transparency in political financing, calling it a systemic flaw in democracy. He argues that unknown funding sources for political campaigns create a transactional election culture. He urges media and civil society to demand answers and emphasizes the importance of transparency in democratic practices for true citizen participation.

Recently, Yaw Nsarkoh, former Executive Vice President of Unilever Ghana and Nigeria, raised significant concerns regarding the lack of transparency in political financing in Ghana. Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on June 23, he highlighted a glaring flaw in the country’s democratic system, stating, “No one knows who funds our presidents.” Nsarkoh underscored the worrying reality that the public remains unaware of campaign spending by both the incumbent president and his principal opposition.

His frustration was evident as he compared Ghana’s political financing to more transparent democracies. “In other democracies, these things are known. Even in America, we know how much a presidential candidate raised. Sometimes it’s on TV. You hear: this person has raised X million dollars,” he lamented. He questioned why Ghana lacks similar insights into campaign funding.

Nsarkoh elaborated further on what he described as a “Santa Claus democracy,” suggesting that elections have turned transactional, where the influence of undisclosed money dominates the process. “It’s a public auction for the highest bidder,” he stated, expressing concern that citizens have become mere ballots instead of active participants in governance.

His remarks coincided with a lecture titled “Iniquities of Iniquity in Our Santa Claus Democracy” at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences. He argued that Ghana’s shift to democracy in the early 1990s was not genuine, recalling the thoughts of the late political analyst Claude Ake, who emphasized the superficiality of the country’s democratic processes.

“Ake used Ghana as an example of a reluctant transition. We opened up space just enough to say the forms of democracy were in place. But the substance? That’s where we’ve failed,” Nsarkoh noted. He pointed to the absence of proper frameworks for tracking political financing as a fundamental issue fueling corruption and inequality in the country.

Nsarkoh asserted the dire consequences of this opacity, suggesting that the infiltration of illicit money into politics paves the way for harmful influences. “If you and I are in the drug trade, we can carry sacks of money and fund people who will become powerful actors,” he explained, warning that the demands then emerge for appointments, which can spread corruption.

Moreover, he argued that this structural issue is not merely a Ghanaian phenomenon but an endemic problem across Africa. “These are systemic defects we see across the continent,” he said. “Yet, instead of confronting the design issues, we personalise the debate.” Nsarkoh recognized that while individuals matter, the overarching system has to be critiqued and ultimately reformed.

He called on journalists, civil groups, and citizens to push for accountability. “You probably have more access than I. But even you, can you tell me where the money came from? That’s the problem.” He concluded with a profound statement about democracy, saying, “If we can’t trace money in politics, then our democracy is not a tool for development. It’s a mechanism for elite enrichment.”

Yaw Nsarkoh’s candid remarks outline a significant challenge facing Ghana’s democratic practices, centered around the opacity of political financing. His critique highlights how undetected money influences elections and governance, ultimately undermining citizen participation. By urging accountability and transparency within political financing, Nsarkoh calls for a reevaluation of democracy in Ghana, emphasizing the negative consequences of leaving such influential factors unchecked.

Original Source: www.myjoyonline.com