Special Prosecutor urges religious leaders to join anti-corruption efforts

The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has appealed to religious leaders to collaborate with his outfit in combating corruption, citing Ghana’s stagnant position on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) as evidence of the country’s lack of progress in the fight against corruption.

Ghana secured the 70th position out of 180 countries and territories in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2023, with a

Read full articlescore of 43 out of a possible 100. This marks the fourth consecutive year of stagnation in Ghana’s anti-corruption efforts, according to Transparency International (TI).

Mr. Agyebeng stated that the involvement of clerics in combating corruption could yield positive results due to their influential personalities. Addressing the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council Conference of Heads of Churches and Organisations, he urged church leaders to utilise their pulpits, platforms, and influence to denounce and deliver sermons against corrupt behavior and lifestyles.

He posed a critical question to the audience, questioning why, despite 71 percent of Ghanaians identifying as Christians, the country still struggles with corruption. Agyebeng observed that Ghana knows the remedy for corruption but hesitates to take action because it is challenging.

Furthermore, he called on religious leaders to actively engage in the fight against corruption, stressing the importance of their involvement. He urged them to publicly condemn corrupt activities and establish explicit connections between corruption and the vices deemed unchristian, in defense of the state.

“We need greater attention on this one. If the representatives of God among us actively take on the corruption fight, we’ll attain remarkable heights. So please join us, by publicly calling corrupt activities. Please join us in making explicit linkages between corruptions and the vices we decry as unchristian in fervent defense of the state," Agyebeng said