No structures to deal with corruption - GII

Mr. Vitus Adaboo Azeem, Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has revealed that the country continues to battle with corruption because there are no proper structures to deal with it.

“Corruption is a worldwide problem including the advanced democracies,” he remarked.

He however disclosed that what makes developed countries different from the developing and less developed countries is the fact that systems are put in place to check incidence of corruption, especially in the public sector.

These systems, he added, work well and persons who attempt or engage in corrupt practices are easily exposed; expressing worry at the way corruption had caught up well with workers in the public sector in Ghana.

Speaking on Ultimate Breakfast show, Mr. Azeem observed that Ghana has lose structures, which is why some persons in time past have engaged in corruption and gotten away with it, reechoing the need for better systems and structures that can work well to reduce incidence of corruption.

It was for this reason he emphasized the GII is establishing a website to collate reports of corrupt acts for the Advocacy and legal advisory centre unit of GII.

“The website is to gather information to use it for advocacy policy reforms. Make a contribution in the fight against corruption because some do not feel comfortable as a result of the cumbersome procedure in reporting corruption,” he explained.

He said people who provide information on corruption to the GII do so in accordance with the whistleblowers act and therefore are protected by that law, but warned that the entire system is not foolproof to ensure that information given by complainants are accurate.

“I am, however, certain that persons who give us information voluntarily will be persons of integrity who will not lie,” he concluded.