Ghanaian satirist and TV personality Kwaku Sintim Misa, popularly known as KSM, has described Ghana’s system of governance as “legally structured corruption” , a setup that forces even well-meaning citizens into compromising acts.
The outspoken host said corruption in Ghana isn’t just a matter of personal greed but a symptom of a deeply flawed system.
“The main cause of corruption we’re having in this country is one, the system itself is corrupt,” KSM declared on the KSM show monitred by MyNewsGh.
“We are living in a very corrupt system, and it is legally structured. It is legal, but it’s still corrupt.”
He illustrated his point with a personal experience. After being arrested for speeding over two decades ago, he tried to follow due process but realized the procedures made it almost impossible.
“I was supposed to go from Accra to Koforidua for court. Imagine how many people can do that? I was busy, and honestly, I had to do what I had to do. That’s the problem, the system makes it easier to bribe than to follow the law,” he said.
KSM lamented how legal frameworks, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and unrealistic fines make it difficult for ordinary citizens to do the right thing, adding that such conditions breed small-scale corruption.
“When the punishment is so high, people would rather pay a tenth of it to the police and move on. That’s not because they are bad, it’s because the system forces them into it.”
He concluded by urging lawmakers to “rewrite the system” and make it more practical, arguing that punitive measures alone cannot fix corruption without structural reform.
