Catholic bishops urge Ghanaians to rise against corruption

The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has called for a change of attitude and behaviour that eschews bribery, corruption and other negative tendencies that weaken the pride of the country.

The conference believes that Ghanaians still have the ability to work together in fighting against the twin diseases of bribery and corruption that have bedeviled the country for some time now.

A statement signed by the Most Reverend Joseph Osei-Bonsu, the President of the GCBC and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, urged all and sundry to desist from bribery and corruption and embrace a life of honesty, integrity and justice.

It expressed worry about the negative impact and potential damage that the recent judicial bribery scandal might have on the image of the country in the international community.

It said: “We recall that the present report is not the first time that this eminent son of the soil has brought the nation’s attention to the prevalence of deep-seated bribery and corruption in the public and social life.”

The statement said the exposé was one report that had "woken all Ghanaians from our slumber and one that will be spoken about in the years to come.

“We believe that this alleged scandal has generated all the attention it has generated because it involves the third arm of Government and the very foundation upon which the nation, and for that matter every civilized nation in the world, is built on the rule of law,” it said.

The statement said: "The conference believed that if the Judicial Council establishes that these judges indeed took bribes, they should be made to face the full rigours of the law."

It commended the judges and magistrates who were resolute and steadfast in rejecting the offer of bribes and not succumbing to the temptation of lust for money adding; “we hold them as examples and rays of light and hope for all Ghanaians”.

The conference commended Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his team of investigators for risking their lives and safety to carry out the investigation to help the nation deal with bribery and corruption.

It encouraged the team to carry on the fight against corruption without fear and assured them of their prayers.