How to stop the weekly scandals

May 11, 2017 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

The government is facing a crisis of credibility. It came into office on a bandwagon of promises of improved accountability and transparency but its record in this regard has been dismal.
It need not despair though. There are simple steps which it can take to reclaim the moral high ground. You would be surprised how simple steps can lead to great leaps.
The government needs to act with alacrity so as to avoid a further dent to its credibility. It seems hardly a week goes by without a new scandal breaking out.
Just this week, allegations were levelled against two government ministries. One of the allegations is being deemed a fabrication. The second set of allegations is said to have been uncovered by the accounting officer of that ministry and therefore has to be treated with some seriousness.
Just keeping abreast with all the scandals is too much even for the media. A few weeks ago we read about investigations being launched into financial improprieties involving NDC funds in West Berbice. Nothing more has been heard about what was the outcome of these investigations.
With a new scandal every week, it is hard to been track of all that went before. But some people have long memories and these scandals will be resurrected at the appropriate time to score political capital.
If the government continues to generate scandals at the rate of one a week, Guyana can end up becoming the most corrupt and scandal–ridden country on the continent.
The instinctive reaction to a situation where every week some new scandal breaks is for the government to make some people an example so as to send a message to others. In reality this never works because of lot of those who are embroiled in the scandals are considered untouchables because they are ‘party’ people. Also, the tendency has been to touch a few small fish to show the public that stern action is being taken against wrongdoing. But in reality it is the small fish that are being used as a fodder to excuse the actions of the bigger fish.
The second reaction is to create a political diversion by making a major arrest or going after a top political personality. We have seen this sort of reaction from the new government. The problem however does not go away. In fact, those who are spared by such diversionary tactics become more emboldened to continue their wrongdoing.
So what can be done?
The first is that the government should avoid countering specific allegations with a general defence. If specific allegations are made against person or persons, then those allegations should be addressed specifically and not through generalized statements and counterclaims. The allegations will not go away unless they are specifically countered and dismissed.
Secondly, measures should be taken to strengthen oversight within those government departments where allegations are emerging. What is needed is oversight by independent agencies, not the employment of more persons to watch over the “milk”. This latter strategy has never worked.
The Office of the Auditor General once used to have a permanent presence in a number of government agencies. This allows the Office of the Auditor General to be able to detect wrongdoing and breaches of financial regulations very early because the auditing is taking place in real time. The government should provide greater resources to the Office of the Auditor General and ensure that that office can have an office in almost all government so as to keep an eye on what is happening.
Thirdly, the government should adopt a policy of not harassing whistleblowers. The government should ensure that there is no victimization of whistle blowers because this will deter people who have knowledge and information about wrongdoing from coming forward and revealing what they know.
These three simple steps – ensuring specific answers are given to specific allegations; increasing the presence of the Audit Office in government ministries and encouraging whistle blowers – will make a big difference in reducing the scandal rate within the present administration.

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