Chief State Attorney unhappy with attitude towards corruption

Koforidua, Aug. 10, GNA - A Chief State Attorney in charge of the Eastern Region, Mr Anthony Gyambiby, has expressed worry with the Ghanaian society's tolerance for corruption and corruptible practices. Mr Gyambiby said tolerance for corruption in Ghana was so endemic that "society tends to respect the affluent without finding out the background of such people" while ironically, "the diligent, honest but poor people are relegated to the background."

Addressing participants at a democracy and good governance workshop in Koforidua on Thursday, Mr Gyambiby called for a new attitude and thinking towards fighting the canker especially one that would question the source of wealth of the affluent in society.

"By so doing, we will be setting a grand agenda or crusade to promote democracy and good governance so that the needs and aspirations of the poor millions in Ghana will be fulfilled."

Mr Gyambiby's views were corroborated by Miss Linda Ofori-Kwafo, Programmes Officer of the Ghana Integrity Initiative, organizers of the workshop, who also faulted society for failing to question how people came by what they had or how they acquired their wealth.

In addition to Miss Ofori-Kwafo's submissions, the State Attorney said parties involved in corruption must only be blamed "but we must also seek to understand the structural character of the phenomenon as well as how it is embedded in the relationships among individuals and organizations."

Such an undertaking would help in the "launching of a great war against corruption while promoting and nurturing our young democracy."

The Chief State Attorney was speaking against the backdrop of the debilitating effects of corruption, especially the attitude of the corrupters to misallocate state resources, foster misguided and unresponsive policies and regulations, lowering of productivity and the exacerbation of poverty.

Mr Gyambiby also spoke on the need for the state to enhance the capacity of institutions such as the media and the legislature, given their oversight responsibilities in the fight against corruption to enable them discharge their responsibilities well.

He argued that because corruption could lead to the weakening of democratic processes and public order and thus impede development, it was important that the executive arm of government took the lead in combating and preventing it.

Miss Ofori-Kwafo called on the government to incorporate into existing laws an elaborate definition of corruption to reflect the internationally accepted definitions of corruption, which clearly criminalizes the offence. She appealed to the government to expedite action on the passage of a credible freedom of information bill to facilitate public access to information about the activities of government, including budgetary allocations, revenues and expenditures and thereby enhance accountability and transparency and increase trust in government. The New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, Nana Akwasi Adjei Boateng, said the fight against corruption should not be a job for one person or one organization. It should be done with the concerted effort of all stakeholders.