Bishop questions govt's commitment to corruption

Bekwai (Ash), May 8, GNA -The Bishop of the Obuasi diocese of the Methodist Church, the Right Reverend Benjamin K. Asare on Saturday questioned the commitment of the government towards achieving the zero tolerance for corruption in the country.

Addressing the eighth annual synod of the diocese at Bekwai, Bishop Asare said, "We want to see in concrete terms the zero tolerance for corruption, or is it just a lip service."


He pointed out that corruption had become endemic in the society, stressing that it had become part and parcel of the culture of the country.


Bishop Asare said in some government offices and other organisations, some staff did not feel ashamed of collecting bribes. The Methodist Bishop therefore, called on Christians to take the lead in tackling the menace. "Our crusade will go a long way to minimise the canker in the society, if not uprooted completely."


He commended the government for taking bold, radical and pragmatic steps to change the economic woes of the country.


"We are aware that our economic sickness needs a bitter economic policies which the people of this country will find it difficult to swallow," he said.

Bishop Asare was convinced that without those policies the country would not recover to gain her economic independence and thereby avoid the dependence on foreign donors.


He, however, cautioned the government that those bitter policies should be implemented with great sensitivity to the already poor and worsen situation of the people.


"The truth of the matter is that people are crying and they are disillusioned to make ends meet. In such a situation any false and self-seeking saviour becomes a hero and wins the hearts of the people," he said.


Bishop Asare condemned the high level of indiscipline in the society, stressing that the development of the country would be stalled if indiscipline was not checked.


Mr A.K. Badu, the diocesan lay chairman, announced that the laity in some of the churches in the diocese had formed endowment fund through which the needy in the church were given soft and interest-free loans to expand and establish their businesses. -