Ghanaians urged to change attitude in the fighting corruption

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI), Mr Peter Bismark Kwofie has called on Ghanaians to have a change of attitude towards the corruption fight.

He noted that over the years, successive governments had spearheaded campaigns to end corruption in the country but little has been done to end the canker.

According to him, the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (SP) under President Akufo-Addo’s administration brought some hope to Ghanaians to reduce the practice to the barest minimum.

In an interview with GNA in commemoration of this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day, Mr Kwofie mentioned the attitude of Ghanaians as one of the reasons for the unsuccessful change in the fight against corruption in Ghana.

He attributed the challenge to some cultural beliefs and practices which set as a blockade to the fight against the menace.

Mr Kwofie contended that some Ghanaian cultures, norms, and proverbs have also supported and contributed to corruption and have been seen as a norm.

Touching on the effects corruption posed on the country, he mentioned that corruption endangers unimpeded functioning of the public sector, weakens the public trust towards state institutions, and hinders the democratic and stable development of the country.

“Most of the corrupt acts are seen in the public sector but nothing is being done about it. Our attention has only been shifted to the politicians alone without concentrating on the public sector workers. These public sector workers have been there for long and know how to use dubious means to extort money from people where such monies could be used for developmental works”, he stressed.

He mentioned weaker punishment as the second cause of hindering the fight against corruption where defaulters of such acts go unpunished and recommended stiffer punishment to such offenders which would deter people from engaging in such practices.

“There has not been any stiff punishment meted out to offenders, where they are made to pay for monies embezzled or being imprisoned. Various investigative pieces have been carried out by some journalists, but no one has been named and shamed yet”, he recounted.