Kufuor identifies main cause of corruption

Kumasi, Dec 4, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor has appealed to Ghanaians to adhere to the concept of self-discipline and patriotism to ensure the success of the government's declaration of zero tolerance for corruption.

Corruption, he said, borders on morality and as such the citizenry needed to make a conscious effort at upholding good moral principles. He said as an emerging economy the nation needed to adopt a multi-sector approach to campaign against corruption in all its forms and manifestations that had permeated all segments of the society to facilitate the nation's bid to attain a middle-income status by 2015. President Kufuor made the call in a speech read on his behalf at the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Ebenezer Oasis of Love Church at Ahodwo in Kumasi on Sunday.

The President said in view of the limited resources at the government's disposal to meet its numerous socio-economic challenges, churches should strive to commit resources especially the provision of social amenities to partner the government to improve upon the standard of living of the people.

He said churches should also institute proactive measures aimed at creating jobs for their members to address the high unemployment rate among the Ghanaian youth.

President Kufuor expressed dissatisfaction that in spite of the fact that Christians were agents of change some of them had in recent times compromised their Christian principles and biblical tenets to the detriment of the growth of Christendom.

"We should at all time try to practice what we preach to salvage the society from evil deeds whilst improving upon the standard of morality in the country", he said.

The President donated 20 million cedis towards the completion of the Oasis of Love Church building.

The Reverend Dr Kwabena Darko, founder and General Overseer of the church, thanked the President for the donation.

In a sermon the Reverend Elkana Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the El-Shaddai Ministries at Port Harcourt in Nigeria, appealed to African leaders to shun arrogance and exhibit good leadership qualities, transparency and accountability to rid the continent of the perennial problems of hunger, diseases and civil wars.