Ghanaians who choose to follow official procedures when accessing public services should not have to pay more, wait longer or face unnecessary obstacles simply because they have chosen to do things the right way.
That is the concern raised by journalist and public affairs commentator Emmanuel K. Dogbevi in an opinion shared on his Facebook page, where he criticised what he described as corruption, delays and poor service delivery across sections of Ghana’s public sector.
Dogbevi argued that citizens are often placed in an uncomfortable position where following due process can become more difficult than finding unofficial ways around the system.
‘You get punished for following due process’
According to Dogbevi, a citizen reporting a case at a police station may encounter officers who see the situation as an opportunity to demand money rather than simply provide the service required.
He extended the criticism to several other public institutions, including the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), local authorities responsible for building permits, schools and institutions responsible for issuing official documents.
In his view, the problem is not simply the existence of bureaucratic procedures but how those procedures are sometimes administered.
He argued that citizens who want to comply with the law can end up being frustrated, delayed or pressured into making unofficial payments.
Building permits and regulatory approvals
Dogbevi also questioned the experience of people seeking building permits and other regulatory approvals.
He claimed that applicants can sometimes be charged significantly more than official rates while the approval process continues for an extended period.
He also mentioned institutions such as the Ghana Standards Authority, Food and Drugs Authority, Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency, questioning why some applications take so long to process.
His argument is that where demand for public services has increased, institutions should respond by improving their systems, hiring adequate staff or finding more efficient ways of processing applications.
Instead, he said, applicants are often left with explanations for delays rather than solutions.
The hidden cost of ‘seeing someone’
One of the most troubling issues raised in the post was the perception that knowing the right person or making an unofficial payment can sometimes make a public service faster.
Dogbevi cited the example of citizens applying for birth certificates.
According to him, applicants may be told that printers or other equipment are not working and that the problem could persist for an extended period.
He claimed that such explanations can sometimes be interpreted as an indirect request for a bribe, with the applicant being told, in effect, that making an unofficial payment could get the document produced quickly.
He argued that such practices undermine confidence in public institutions and punish citizens who choose to wait for the formal process.
Why can’t successful reforms be replicated?
Dogbevi pointed to passport acquisition as an example of an area where improvements have been made.
He questioned why similar improvements cannot be introduced across other public services.
For him, the issue is not whether Ghana has the ability to modernise public services but whether institutions are willing to adopt systems that make corruption and unnecessary delays more difficult.
He argued that citizens should not have to depend on personal connections or unofficial payments to receive services they are legally entitled to.
Religion and public morality
Dogbevi also connected the issue to morality and religious practice.
He observed that many public officials accused of unethical conduct may simultaneously identify as religious people who attend churches or mosques and seek divine blessings.
He questioned whether religious teachings are having enough influence on people’s conduct in public life.
His argument was not that religion itself is responsible for corruption, but that religious commitment should ideally be reflected in honesty, integrity and ethical behaviour.
If people can worship God or Allah on one day and return to work the next day to exploit citizens, he questioned what is missing between religious belief and everyday conduct.
Accountability is possible
Despite his criticism, Dogbevi said he does not believe the situation is hopeless.
He argued that institutions already have mechanisms that can be used to discipline officials who abuse their positions.
The bigger problem, in his view, is that such sanctions are not consistently applied.
Without consequences, he suggested, unethical behaviour can become normalised within public institutions.
Praise for the National Insurance Commission
Interestingly, Dogbevi singled out the National Insurance Commission (NIC) for praise based on his personal experience.
He said that after making a complaint about an insurance company, the Commission responded quickly, sought the company’s side of the matter, organised a meeting and resolved the issue with clarity.
For Dogbevi, the experience demonstrated that public institutions can provide responsive and effective services when the systems and leadership are functioning properly.
He therefore posed a broader question:
If some public institutions can work efficiently, why can’t others?
Ghana can learn from other countries
Dogbevi also shared his experience of obtaining official documents while studying in the United States.
He said he did not need to physically visit the relevant offices. Instead, he applied online, printed the required documents, attached other official papers and mailed the application.
After the application was processed, the documents were sent back to him.
For him, such systems demonstrate that Ghana does not need to reinvent the wheel.
The country can study successful models elsewhere and adapt them to local circumstances.
Digitalisation could reduce opportunities for corruption
A major lesson from Dogbevi’s argument is the importance of digital public services.
When citizens can apply online, track applications, make official payments electronically and receive documents without repeatedly visiting government offices, opportunities for unnecessary delays and unofficial payments can be reduced.
Digitalisation alone, however, cannot solve every problem.
Institutions also need accountable leadership, adequate staffing, transparent fees, clear timelines and effective disciplinary systems.
A public sector that works benefits everyone
Dogbevi’s criticism ultimately goes beyond individual public servants.
It is a question about the kind of country Ghana wants to build.
When a business owner cannot easily register a business, when a property owner struggles to obtain a permit, when a parent faces obstacles securing a place for a qualified child, or when a citizen has to find an intermediary to obtain a basic government document, the consequences extend beyond that individual.
Businesses lose time.
Families lose money.
Investors become frustrated.
Citizens lose trust.
And the perception grows that public services are available more easily to those with money, connections or the willingness to pay unofficial fees.
Dogbevi believes Ghana can do better.
He argued that the country has already experienced enough political upheaval, loss of lives and economic hardship to continue tolerating practices that undermine public institutions.
His conclusion is simple: if Ghana works well, everyone benefits.
The challenge is therefore not merely to create more public institutions, but to ensure that the institutions citizens depend on actually deliver the services they were established to provide.
This article is based on an opinion shared by Emmanuel K. Dogbevi on his Facebook page. The views and experiences expressed in the original post are those of the author.
