The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has expressed concern about the monetisation of politics on the continent.
He explained that the monetisation of politics had only deepened corruption and turned leadership into “a marketplace for personal gain rather than service”.
He noted that some candidates spent up to $100 million to win presidential elections and $500,000 to secure parliamentary seats.
Mr Bagbin was delivering the keynote address at the opening of the ninth Biennial General Meeting of the African Parliamentarians’ Network Against Corruption (APNAC) in Accra last Friday.
Proactive
He, therefore, urged African legislators to reposition their parliaments as proactive instruments in the fight against corruption rather than reactive institutions that responded only after the damage had been done.
He noted that corruption in Africa had evolved into a “chameleon-like” and “mutating” menace that adapted to new technologies, global financial systems, and political loopholes.
He cautioned that the continent could not win the anti-graft battle if Parliaments remained passive or confined their roles to ratifying treaties and passing legislation.
“APNAC must position itself ahead of corruption—to prevent it, not cure it,” the Speaker said, adding that parliaments must realm themselves with stronger oversight tools, tighter ethics systems, and a deeper commitment to transparency.
Corruption’s venom
Mr Bagbin described corruption as “cancerous, systemic and cataclysmic,” arguing that it had robbed Africa of billions of dollars through illicit financial flows, weakened institutions, and driven many citizens into poverty.
Citing the Mbeki Report, he said Africa was losing over $50 billion annually to illicit financial flows, while Ghana alone lost GH¢23.3 million in 2024 and GH¢14.9 million in the first half of 2025 to cybercrime.
Ghana’s efforts
The Speaker commended Ghana’s Parliament for taking concrete steps to strengthen integrity within the legislative institution.
Those steps, he said, included the establishment of an Ethics and Standards Committee, the office of a Commissioner of Standards, and a Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament.
To promote integrity and accountability, he said the nation’s legislative arm was also facilitating a National Integrity Awards Scheme to honour men and women of honesty while publicly naming and shaming the corrupt.
APNC’s role
Mr Bagbin called on APNAC members to build stronger national chapters and use technology to uncover and address corruption more effectively.
“To reposition APNAC means nothing less than reimagining its mission and reimaging it for a new era where APNAC is a stronger, louder, bolder, more visible, more effective, and a more united force against corruption,” he said.
He, therefore, challenged African parliamentarians to restore public trust in governance, stressing that without it, democracy itself could not stand.
“If we fail to act, corruption will write the death tribute of Africa’s democracy,” he stated.
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