Departmental Monthly Seminar Series, Thursday, September 30, 2021

Members of the general public are cordially invited to the September Edition of our Departmental Seminar Series

Do Africans really not need strong (wo) men in the fight against corruption? Reflections on public value governance in Ghana

Abstract
Many people are of the view that African states only require strong institutions (not strong men) and this impression became very popular during the historic visit of Barack Obama (former US President) to Ghana’s Parliament at least a decade ago. He argued that Africa does not require strong men. Is the notion of ‘strong (wo) men’ and ‘strong institutions’ mutually exclusive in the fight against corruption? Do strong institutions exclusively hold the master key to the fight against corruption? This presentation sheds more light on the notion of public value governance and demonstrates that emphasis on institutions is ‘meaningless’ and reductionist until it is linked with the ‘total liberation’ of mind-set propelled by ‘a compelling third force’. Whilst institutions and systems keep growing in Ghana, impact on corruption control not significantly felt. Are there really demons who obstruct the spirit and letter of the institutions? Are the systems weak or the human elements (demons) rather stronger in adapting and outsmarting the institutions?  Deploying various theories and models of public leadership and governance interspersed with secondary data, this presentation makes a case for a corruption control tripod which is deemed more encompassing requiring the collaborative efforts of strong (wo) men, strong institutions, and a strong third force.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11115-016-0351-5