Mr Evans Badu Boampong, Deputy Director of the Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI), has called on Ghanaians to have a change of attitude with regards to the fight against corruption.
He noted that over the years, successive governments have spearheaded campaigns to end corruption in the country but little has been done to end this canker.
According to him, the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (SP) under President Akufo-Addo’s administration brought some hope in Ghanaians to reduce the practice to the barest minimum.
Sharing his views on Spice Fm’s Adzekye Mu Nsem in Takoradi in commemoration of this year’s International Anti-Corruption Day, Mr Boampong 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.
He contended that some Ghanaian culture, norms and proverbs have also supported and contributed to corruption and has 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 corruption 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 works have been there for long and know how to use dubious means to extort monies 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 stiffer punishment meted out to offenders, where they are made to pay for monies embezzled or being imprisoned. Various investigations piece has been carried out by some journalists but no one has been named and shamed yet”, he recounted.
Story: Benedicta Ackney
