Corruption has done Ghana immeasurable harm – Domelevo

A former Auditor-General, Daniel Yao Domelevo, has said that the impact of corruption on Ghana’s socio-economic development over the decades is incalculable.

He recommended that the fight against corruption be commercialised and also decentralised to include corruption-related offences and more stakeholders to make it more efficient.

This would be a more sustainable way to fight these crimes across the country, he added.

Domelevo was speaking, via Zoom, on the theme: Ghana’s 67th 'In-Dependence Anniversary: Rescue or Disaster' Anti-Corruption Event, in Accra.

The event was organised by Crusaders Against Corruption (CACG) in collaboration with African Business Communication (ABC), TV XYZ, Ghana Good Governance Group (GGGG), and Spio-Garbrah Foundation (S-GF).

The discussions were aimed at finding more effective ways to combat corruption and foster good governance.

“We cannot develop when corruption is taking over and consuming all resources of the country,” he stated.

The former Auditor-General said the lack of a clear vision for transforming the economy, poor leadership and wastage of national resources has culminated in making Ghana a developing country 67 years after independence.

The country, he noted, however, had to develop at all costs to improve the livelihoods of the people and the society.

He, therefore, tasked public officials to be at the forefront of seeking positive change.

They should stop tolerating and justifying corrupt and unpatriotic practices for the rule of law to govern.

He encouraged the Government to seek better ways of utilising the vast natural resources for developing the nation, instead of over-reliance on taxes, which burdened citizens.

Bishop Dr. Samuel Mensah, a Board Member of (CACG), said the challenges facing the country were not spiritual but rather a lack of critical thinking among its leadership.

He said Ghana had no pragmatic long-term vision, while its political leaders had no clear ideas about where they were taking the citizenry.

Until the country implemented a national and comprehensive long-term vision, which transcended the regimes of political parties, it would be difficult to develop and grow to its full potential, he added.

Bishop said Ghana’s counterparts at independence who had consistently progressed had visionary leadership and pragmatic national plans every step of the way.

Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, founder of the Spio-Garbrah Foundation, said the programme was to discuss whether Ghana had truly been independent or was still dependent after its political independence in 1957.