Combating corruption is a shared responsibility – GACC

Mr Richard Quayson, Acting Commissioner of the Commission of Human Right and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), says combating corruption in Ghana is a shared responsibility and urged stakeholders to join the fight.

He said corruption cut across every facet of the economy and that it is not only politicians that are exposed to the canker.

Mr Quayson, who is also the Vice Chairperson of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), said this when he addressed a day’s sensitisation workshop on the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP).

NACAP, adopted by Ghana’s Parliament in July 2014, is a 10-year plan that outlines the strategy for fighting corruption in Ghana.

The workshop was funded by OXFAM to sensitise and empower civil society organisations (CSOs) on their roles and reporting mechanisms under NACAP.

Mr Quayson said corruption is perceived as a group of people sitting somewhere and therefore, “we lose concentration of the real issues”.

“As a country, we need to accept responsibility because we all contribute to the corrupt situation the country finds itself. Until we take up responsibility and speak publicly against corruption, we will continue to live in same situation,” he added.

He said, having recognised the key roles CSOs play in the fight against corruption, the GACC started engaging them on their roles to curb corruption and improve on the society.

“Peculiar roles and position of CSOs in the society would make it easier for them to assist in achieving the goals of NACAP,” he said.

He urged the CSOs to report on what is needed to be done to achieve the goals.

Nana Osei Bonsu, President of GACC, said the crusade against corruption must start with the citizenry, in schools, churches, mosques, social gatherings, media, among others, to create the awareness and close the loopholes of corrupt practices.

The crusade, he said, does not need money or heavy budgeting but only an encouragement to create the awareness to fight corruption in the society.

He said the CSOs have not done their bit over the years as they look for other organisations and institutions to fight corruption.

Mr Charles Ayamdoo, Director of Anti-Corruption, CHRAJ said, NACAP came into existence as a result of public apathy towards fighting corruption; limited awareness of the linkage between human rights and corruption and weak political will, to dispassionately pursue anti-corruption measures.

It also came into being as a result of under resource anti-corruption agencies and independent governance institutions, weak capacity of CSOs and the media to address public accountability, weak enforcement of legislation, weak assets declaration regime, and weak coordination among stakeholders.

Mr Ayamdoo said State institutions that investigate corruption are not more than 300, which he said seriously undermine their capacity to work.

He noted that arresting political opponents and prosecuting them is not a sustainable way to fight corruption.

“We do not need political enthusiasm to achieve that”.

Mrs Beauty Narteh, Acting Executive Secretary of GACC, commended OXFAM for its continuous support in the fight against corruption and urged CSOs to join the fight to make NACAP a success.