Ghana�s Institutions Are Rotten And Have Failed � Lawyer Ampaw

A member of the National Media Commission, Lawyer Akoto Ampaw has cautioned Ghanaians to look beyond the nation's "superficial" democracy, and work instead, at strengthening the country's institutions. �Beneath the superficial success of our (Ghana) democracy are a deep rot of institutional failure and non-accountability and a lack of coherence in policy formulation and implementation,� he said. According to the human rights activist, the canker needed to be addressed, with immediate effect. �The democracy that we are practising is largely superficial and does not address some of the very fundamental needs in our society,� he stated. According to Mr Ampaw, �so long as our middle class does not impose the imprint of its collective interest on state policy and demand from public institutions, public officials and politicians, that they address their interest, we will still continue to have the deep problem of under development.� "When any public issue arises, instead of the parties that are not directly connected with the issue looking at the fact as they are and telling the participants to the face that, this is what is going on... You find out people line out based on partisan lines and the few who have the courage to speak the truth are so attacked and vilified ... the rest of the people conclude that it is better to keep quiet. [As a] result most people with independent views will not speak.� �We continue to wallow in hypocrisy and lies; truth telling has been completely pushed out of our public life and what we thrive on is propaganda, lies and double talk,� he pointed out. According to Lawyer Ampaw, �we need to look deeper and see whether the right institutions are established and performing the functions that by law they ought to be performing.�