Poverty fund managers, SEND-Ghana, is alarmed by the high level of corruption in Ghana, which they say is negatively affecting investor confidence.
This, according to the Programs Manager, John Nkaw, is affecting the efforts of government and development partners to reduce poverty in the country.
John Nkaw made the revelation in Tamale at a day’s sensitization workshop on anti-corruption framework in Ghana.
The workshop was in line with a USAID sponsored project christened, “Accountable Democratic Institutions and Systems Strengthening (ADISS).”
The project’s overall objectives are increased advocacy by civil society for legislative change related to accountability and increased documentation as well as exposing corruption through civil society reporting mechanisms.
John Nkaw narrated that all surveys conducted over the years on corruption in Ghana proved that the canker remained a setback in the nation’s transformational agenda.
He recalled that in 2014, Ghana scored 48% in the fight against corruption as captured in the Corruption Perception Index.
He condemned the situation and called for a multifaceted approach to tackle the menace.
He lamented that state institutions mandated to address corruption are relaxed because of inadequate resources.
John Nkaw advocated attitudinal change and admonished the participants to name and shame corrupt duty bearers at their work places and in their localities.
He also challenged politicians to show enough commitment to combat corruption.
The National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) Northern Regional Director, Alhaji Razak Saani in a presentation made on his behalf, attributed the phenomenon to institutional and leadership failure.
He called for enough logistics to augment the functions of state institutions responsible for fighting against corruption.
Alhaji Razak Saani emphasized that the fight against corruption should be everybody’s responsibility.
A representative from the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Adam Naatogmah Baane, concentrated on the existing anti-corruption legal framework (Whistle blower Act) and the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP).
He reprimanded the district assemblies for failing to display their budgetary allocations for public scrutiny and tasked the various assemblies to deepen their social auditing and accounting principles.
Adam Baane encouraged the participants to take advantage of the Whistle blowers Act and expose corrupt leaders.
Some of the participants commended SEND-Ghana and its allied bodies for the initiative. They admitted that corruption had affected every facet of the Ghanaian society, hence the need to eliminate it.
SEND-Ghana in collaboration with the Ghana Integrity Initiative and the Ghana Anti Corruption Coalition is spearheading the crusade against corruption in the country.
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/Citifmonline.com/Ghana