Citizens Mov’t to organise anti-corruption march

The Citizens Movement against Corruption (CMaC) would on Tuesday, October 21, hold an anti-corruption route march in Accra, to draw government’s attention on the need to halt the canker of corruption in the country.

CMaC is an alliance between civil society organisations (CSOs) and the Private Sector with support from STAR Ghana, a multi-donor pooled organisation to address corruption and its concomitant negative impact on national development.

Its objective is to strengthen private sector and CSOs collaboration against corruption, creating public awareness on the effects of corruption on national development and influencing government to step up its response to fraud

Mr Kingsley Offei-Nkansah, CMaC Convener, who announced the date for the anti-corruption at a media soiree in Accra, urged government and the state anti-corruption institutions to take the fight against corruption very seriously by ensuring that the perpetrators of the crime are made to face the full rigours of the law.

He said in order to make corruption unattractive, the perpetrators should be severely punished by the law courts and their assets confiscated.

“These days Ghanaians seems not to care about the source of people’s wealth, whether it was gained through fair or foul means, which is a worrying development,” he stated.

Mr K. Edem Senanu, CMaC Co-Chairman said CSOs, working together with private sector organisations, need to push harder to have government and the legal system undergo structural reforms, which would improve the efficiency of justice delivery specially issues related to corruption.

“CMaC therefore, calls on all well-meaning Ghanaians, civil society organisations, private sector associations, faith-based organisations, traditional and religious leaders, and the voices of conscience within our body politics to work with CMaC to mobilise their constituents and empower them to be productive agents in the fight against corruption.

“It is in this context that the CMaC would want to commend and indeed celebrate citizens such as Martin Amidu, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Mannaseh Azure and many others, including unknown heroes, who have demonstrated true patriotism in championing this cause by not just speaking up, but acting on corruption issues.”

Mr Senanu urged government to take radical in its efforts to tackle corruption by adequately resourcing the constitutionally mandated institutions meant to uphold the rule of law such as Parliament, National Media Commission and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice.

He said government must give true meaning to its fight against corruption by accelerating investigations and prosecution of outstanding corruption cases such as the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency, Savanna Accelerated Development Authority and SOUBA.

“The long delays in bringing these matters to a conclusion further entrenches the perception that nothing is being done about corruption and encourages further acts of corruption with impunity,” he said.

Dr Bernard Otabil, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana News Agency said in order to curb corruption in the country; it should be tackled holistically, adding that the phenomena that is encouraging the private sector as conduit for creating public sector corruption must seriously be tackled.

“The recent exposé in the country on corruption is good, but let us pluck all the loopholes,” he said.

Mr Vitus A. Azeem, Executive Secretary of Ghana Integrity Initiative, urged the media to step up the fight against corruption, declaring that “whether we are in the public or private sector, corruption affects us all”.