Ghanaian Times: Fighting Corruption: A duty for all

A growing number of Ghanaian have in recent times been calling for the intensification of the fight against corruption in the country.

Indeed, majority of Ghanaians agree that corruption is a public enemy number one that needs a concerted effort by all to fight, if ever the country is to win the war against it

It is against this backdrop that we find an admonition by the Dean of the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), Professor Justice Nyigmah Bawole, urging the government to be tough and firm in rooting out corruption in the country timely and important.

In an interview with the Ghanaian Times last Friday on the expectations of the public about the President’s second term in office, Prof. Justice Nyigmah Bawole urged him to make corruption an unattractive venture, especially in the public sector, while working on reducing the perception of the phenomenon in the public.

In his view, the President was relaxed in cracking the whip on matters of corruption and suspected incidents of corruption during his first tenure in office, making ministers and other appointees “comfortable.”

Prof. Bawole, therefore, asked the President to be hard in dealing with the issue of corruption, particularly in the public sector in this period of his administration, noting that, “That way, we will see that reflecting across.”

He stated that, “Otherwise, the next four years is going to be really tough for economic growth, because the extent to which this perception fuels the rest of activities is very important.”

The Dean of UBGS indicated that corruption was a major issue that should be taken seriously, as it affected the entire economy and how things ran in the country, adding that there should not be any laxity in applying the law when one was found culpable of any corrupt activity.

Prof. Bawole may have spoken the minds of many Ghanaian who are unhappy about corruption in high and low places in the country.

Indeed, corruption predates the current government and previous governments had fought the menace but the practice persists and negatively affecting the development of the country.

The Ghanaian Times shares the position that the fight against corruption should be vigorous across the country. The price to pay for indulging in corruption should be high in order to serve as a deterrent.

It is our hope that the entire nation would dedicate itself to the fight against the menace so that it would become unattractive in the country.

No country in the world has ever profited from corruption; rather, it affects the progress and prosperity of nations where it is pervasive. We hope and pray that the nation would see a renewed effort by everybody so that together we can uproot the canker from our midst.