Accra, Ghana//-Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has expressed worry about the normalization of corruption among the Ghanaian populace.
According to the Coalition, this normalisation poses threats to the country’s development aspirations to transform, advance inclusive development, and move this country to a Ghana Beyond Aid which would translate to an economically independent, confident, peaceful, and prosperous nation.
In addition, recent happenings raise concerns that the government is not providing the public with a clear pathway for dealing with corruption.
The Programmes Officer of Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, Samuel Harrison Cudjoe made these known during a presentation of the coalition’s 2023 Corruption Report in Accra.
“Indeed, Ghanaians feel that some persons in authority appear to be sending wrong signals all the time. It is as if we take one step forward and two steps backwards,” he disclosed.
According to the report, Ghana’s performance on international corruption indices is declining as there is a growing issue of corruption, ranging from petty bribery to grand corruption within public institutions and among public officials.
The report highlighted the need to address election-related corruption and vote-buying, emphasizing the importance of fair and transparent elections.
In a recommendation, Mr Cudjoe stressed the urgent need for the government to continue to invest substantially in the anti-corruption state institutions and intensify implementation of anti-corruption laws.
“The political leadership must also demonstrate that there is a personal price to pay for corruption by speeding up the investigation and prosecution of corruption cases as well as recovery of proceeds of corruption,” he stated.
There is a need to be more radical in our efforts to achieve results in the short term if Ghana is to deliver a big blow against corruption.
The President and his appointees must prioritise measures that will contribute to a restoration of public confidence in the commitment and dedication of the government to fight corruption.
More so, there is the need to institutionalise a value system that prompts a person whose conduct in public office comes into disrepute to resign or recuse themselves from further administration of the office they occupy.
The Executive Secretary of the GACC, Ms Beauty Emefa Narteh, underscored the need for all-inclusive commitment from all stakeholders to help tackle corruption in the country.
“Until all stakeholders commit holistically to the fight against corruption, all efforts would amount to only scratching the surface,” she stated.
However, she highlighted the importance of fostering better collaboration between state anti-corruption agencies and the judiciary, to effectively combat corruption.
By Kofi Dzokpo, African Eye Report
