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And so President Mahama does not want us to think poorly of Ghana�s Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the indiscretionary shenanigans of its Commissioner notwithstanding. I wonder why. In more ways than one, Commissioner Lauretta Lamptey has come to represent everything that CHRAJ was not established for. She has shown what former Commissioner Short has described as poor judgment, has allowed herself to be accused of poor work ethic, admittedly not showing up at work for months, and she has failed to display awareness of the harm she has done to herself and to the reputation of this Commission that we are now only realising how much we have taken for granted. For a so -called cash strapped country, my God, we have such expensive tastes. Under what conditions does a new Commissioner embark upon extensive renovations of a house that never suffered dilapidation? A freshly built house that was occupied by the previous Commissioner until his retirement needed massive rework? Never mind that Commissioner Lamptey tags the renovations as only �minor�, so minor in fact that they cost only Ghc182, 000! As if this is not bad enough, the renovations have been ongoing for three years, when indeed, serious minded developers are building new four bedroom houses with a one� bedroom boys quarters in four months. In the three- year interim, tax payers have coughed up a not so modest $203,500 in rent and utilities. Claiming not to have any means of accommodation in Ghana or anywhere else for that matter, Commissioner Lamptey rented hotel accommodation for an apparently heavily discounted daily rate of $456.25. Under her leadership, CHRAJ has also failed to refund GH�89,551.79 to government, being an overstated amount initially requested for emoluments. Now if CHRAJ is itself defaulting on recommendations of the 2013 Auditor General�s report, how can we expect the institution to be the standard bearer in the anti-corruption fight? Taxes This Ghana, which today is reeling in ever increasing taxes, this Ghana, where revenue has been outstripped by expenditure, this Ghana, whose budget for CHRAJ is heavily subsidised by donors �DANIDA� up to five times government�s allocation, this Ghana with a crippling 1.5 million housing deficit, this Ghana with annual looting by public sector workers of state coffers as per the Auditor General�s findings, this Ghana that is struggling to robustly retrieve funds dubiously paid to individuals and organisations, this Ghana where open public defecation does not cause outrage and remedy, can afford such expensive habits for its public officials? Add to this my real fear that Commissioner Lamptey, who has done an excellent job of importing expensive corporate tastes into a modest public service job, may not be the only Chief Executive living large, while apparently neglecting their core mandate. Other managers have probably survived only because unlike Commissioner Lamptey, they have done an excellent implementation of di bi mami ndibi aka one man no chop principle. In other words, their employees are not leaking information to the press simply because Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is not flying business class while the lowly employee wonders if paltry allowances will be paid or not. Otherwise translated, everybody is licking their elbows small and there is all round work and happiness!!! Past performance In the light of current happenings, I would argue that we have long taken CHRAJ�s past performance for granted. When massive allegations of corruption were levelled against Ministers and officials in the Rawlings government, many were those who wondered whether Commissioner Short had the � shall we say mettle, to assert the constitutional mandate of the new body. He stood up to be counted, visiting Rawlings at the Castle and commencing a full scale investigation against suspicions of a possible whitewash. CHRAJ conducted a thorough investigation. When President Kufuor was accused of allegedly deploying state funds in the renovation of his private residence, again, upon submission of a petition, CHRAJ had the presence of mind to look into it. When allegations of corruption were levelled against Minister Anane in the Kufuor government, the Acting Commissioner Bossman for the first time, proactively initiated its own investigations without a formal complaint being filed. Of course, the courts later determined that the body could not on its own initiate investigations, but in that singular act, the Commission displayed that it had appetite to assert its mandate. In other words, all our loud complaints and occasional condemnations notwithstanding, we always had a CHRAJ we could go to settle one tricky matter or the other. Little did we realise we were seeing the best years of CHRAJ. With the current CHRAJ boss embroiled in allegations of abuse of office herself, the institution has been struck a great blow and will struggle to assert its mandate to uphold high ethical standards in the conduct of public officials. And while superintending this mess, she has hung on tenaciously without remorse. Due process Has President Mahama followed due process by referring multiple complaints filed before him to the Chief Justice? Yes. Does the establishment of a prima facie case by the Chief Justice indicate progress? Yes. Will the confidence of CHRAJ be further undermined by a full blown drawn out investigation? Yes. Should Commissioner Lamptey resign? Yes. Will she? No. Why? The answer lies in Sylvester Mensah�s reflections on our socio-political values. In 2000, having totally lost interest in re-contesting the La Dadekotopon seat and more importantly, having lost the trust and confidence of his constituency, Sylvester Mensah offered to step down as incumbent Member of Parliament (MP). Subsequently, he went to see one of the La Chiefs who gave him the kind of advice that I suspect someone is giving to our embattled Commissioner. To quote, �The chief strongly cautioned me against that decision, advising me that in politics, one does not resign. He told me to wait �� And so, Commissioner Lamptey awaits further public humiliation. So Mr. President, I totally disagree with you. CHRAJ�s image is battered. And no amount of pleading on your part will amend it. There is the bigger question of your own commitment to fighting corruption. And as I have said before, nothing short of drastic actions on your part � tangible recovery of stolen public funds, aggressive prosecutions, and true zero tolerance will erase the perception you so bitterly complained about in your anti-corruption address last week.