Corruption against Our Children Is the Last Straw – CPP

The CPP has repeatedly highlighted to Ghanaians the Government’s failure to tackle the menace of Corruption in our society.

Back in February after President Kufuor announced the setting up of an Anti-Corruption Unit at the Attorney General's Department to study the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee, we joined the many who having witnessed the arrogant corruption of the NPP years felt it was not enough and remained unconvinced about NPP commitment to tackling corruption.

We shed light also on the effects of corruption, and how all the efforts and strides and sacrifice the country to makes on the development front in education, health, jobs etc is undermined and devalued by corruption. We quoted the Chairman of Transparency International (TI) Peter Eigen, when he says "Corruption is a major cause of poverty as well as a barrier to overcoming it,"

Ghanaians continue to decry the various elements of corruption that they face in their lives -bribery, embezzlement, extortion, graft, cronyism, nepotism, patronage, the corruption that facilitate criminal activity such as drug trafficking and money laundering, and the burden of corruption that disproportionately falls on them as ordinary citizens.

The recent investigation and report by Price Waterhouse into Ghana’s School Feeding Programme (SFP) has shocked even the most ardent supporters of the NPP Government into saying “enough is enough” “this is the last straw”. It has demoralised many across the length and breadth of our country.

The report’s finding that among financial claims for undelivered meals, bloated figures, children waiting for meals which did not arrive, that our children were actually been fed rotten tomatoes and rotten food, has confirmed to Ghanaians their worst fears, which are that under the NPP Government greed and corruption knows no limit or bounds, that Ghanaian children will be sacrificed in the atmosphere of profit and greed championed by the NPP Government.

We wish to spell out once again for the benefit of the current government. ,because for many Ghanaians the Government is not listening.

• Corruption leads to rotten food and tomatoes being fed to Ghanaian children.

• Corruption poses a serious development challenge. In the political realm, it undermines democracy and good governance.

• In the judiciary compromises the rule of law • Corruption in public administration results in the unfair provision of services.

• In elections and in legislative bodies it reduces accountability and distorts representation in policymaking.

• Corruption erodes the institutional capacity of government as resources are siphoned off, and public offices are bought and sold.

• Corruption undermines the legitimacy of government and such democratic values as trust and tolerance.

• Corruption undermines economic development by generating considerable distortions and inefficiency. In the private sector, corruption increases the cost of business through the price of illicit payments, the management cost of negotiating with officials, and the risk of breached agreements or detection.

• The availability of bribes induces officials to contrive new rules and delays.

• Where corruption inflates the cost of business, it also distorts the playing field, shielding firms with connections from competition and thereby sustaining inefficient firms.

• Corruption leads to environmental degradation and destruction, because officials can be bribed. The same affects social rights such as worker protection, prevention of child labor and unionization.

• Corruption generates economic distortions in the public sector by diverting public investment into capital projects where bribes and kickbacks are more plentiful. Officials may increase the technical complexity of public sector projects to conceal or pave way for such dealings, thus further distorting investment. Corruption also lowers compliance with construction, environmental, or other regulations, reduces the quality of government services and infrastructure, and increases budgetary pressures on government.

We wish to repeat once again that after a near 8 year rule the NPP government has failed to focus on corruption and tackle it with the seriousness needed. It has failed in its” zero tolerance on corruption” agenda not because the CPP says so but because in our first quarter of campaigning , we have been to all ten Regions of the country , and our “Community Based Campaign” has taken us to many places in the Western Region for example we have been to Wassa Akropong, Bogosu, Prestea, Tarkwa, Axim, Nkroful, Essikado, Agona Nkwanta, Busua, Nsein, Heman and Shama, In the Northern Region we have visited Damongo, Tuna, Bole, Sawla, Tamale, Yendi, Cheriponi and Sang, Among the key issues everywhere we have been is corruption in our society. The CPP understands fully the forms that corruption takes in our society and how it affects our people. We have told the people of Ghana that we will tackle corruption with the seriousness that it deserves.

It is clear that Ghanaians want change and an alternative to the NPP and NDC. Voting for the CPP is a key part of tackling corruption because it is through change that politicians learn. The NDC says it has learnt lessons after loosing the election. The NPP must learn that same lesson by sending them back into opposition to learn.

Communications Directorate – www.cppuk.org info@cppuk.org cppyouth@gmail.com