Calls for better wages to curb corruption

Participants at the launch of an anti-corruption club at Winneba on Tuesday called for better pay and service conditions for workers to support the implementation of President John Agyekum Kufuor's policy of "zero tolerance" of bribery and corruption in the country.

They also called for the enactment of effective bye-laws by the district assemblies to check irresponsible people who regard bringing up children as a mere hobby.

They further stressed the need for parents to give their children excellent home training to enable the country secure the right type of men and women who can confidently and effectively take over the mantle of nation building in future.

According to the participants, poor pay packets and service conditions are some of the serious factors militating against the nation's battle against bribery and corruption, which have now become serious and destructive sickness undermining the country's forward march.

Speaking on Christians and corruption in Ghana, the Rev. Iver Wilson, of the Triumph Bible Church International, Winneba, described corruption as dangerous socio-economic epidemic, which is gradually breaking down the entire moral fibber of the nation, and urged all followers of Christian principles to help eradicate it.

Rev Wilson, who gave several Bible quotations to support his call, made it clear to Christians that corruption profanes the Holy Name of God and that any follower or believer of the Biblical tenets, who indulge in corrupt practices commits sin against God

He mentioned the love for money, greediness, and covetousness, as the major symptoms of corruption and advised both Christians and non-Christians to eschew these vices.

Rev Wilson said corruption breeds injustice because it perverts justice and destroys national welfare at all levels and must be feared.

Mr. J.K. Ankai-Mac Aidoo, the National Organizer and Founder of the Good Citizenship Club of Ghana (GOCG), said in order to eradicate corruption from the

Ghanaian society steps must be taken to get school children educated on the dangers posed by corruption.

He was hopeful that when this is done, the battle against this serious and destructive social evil would have been won half way. Mr. Aidoo cautioned Ghanaians, particularly people in high positions against the acceptance of gifts because they can easily influence them to indulge in corrupt practices.

Launching the club, Mr Gui Siilo, the Acting District Chief Executive for Awutu-Effutu-Senya, called for the active and collective involvement of every citizen in the national crusade against corruption since the government alone cannot fight and win the battle against this social problem, which is fast gaining roots in every segment of the Ghanaian society.

Siilo, who is also the District Co-ordinating Director for the area, said corruption is a threat to the socio-economic forward march of the country and asked Ghanaians to attach all the seriousness to the campaign to eradicate it.

Geofrey E. Yarney, Headmaster of Winneba Secondary School who chaired the function, recalled recent robbery cases, in which some students of certain second cycle schools in Cape Coast broke into the Central Police Armoury and stole several rounds of ammunition and charged parents to help check such acts.

Yarney urged parents to pay regular visits to their wards in secondary schools, to access their general performance with the managements.

Nana Agyeefi VIIII, chief of Effutu-Osubonpanyin asked district assemblies to involve chiefs in the award of contracts to serve as watchdogs to check corruption associated with the granting of such awards.