Reform military budgeting process to reduce corruption risks - Dr Sowatey

Dr. Emmanuel Sowatey, a criminologist and security analyst, called for reforms to Ghana's military budgeting process, stronger parliamentary oversight, and improved public understanding of the security sector to address corruption risks in the country's defence sector. He spoke on Joy FM's Super Morning Show during the Corruption Watch segment on Wednesday, July 22. Dr. Sowatey outlined four key recommendations for government following discussions on a report that rated Ghana's defence sector as being at high risk of corruption. He stated, "I'll go outside the report to show that, one, the problem is systemic. It's referring to the issue of how to best have value for money in military expenditure. It's not only the expenditure. It's also the budgeting process."

Dr. Sowatey said the priority should be making military budgeting more consistent with the country's democratic values while striking a balance between national security and public accountability. His first recommendation was, "let's make the military budgeting process more reflective of our democratic governance. The line between national security and transparency can be something very tricky, but it can always be dealt with." His second recommendation focused on improving "security sector literacy" among the public, journalists, and other stakeholders. He stated that a better understanding of how the security sector operates would enable citizens to ask informed questions about the use of public resources and whether defence spending aligns with national security objectives.