Churches must name and shame corrupt members - CHRAJ

The Director of Anti-Corruption, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) Mr. Charles Ayamdoo, on Friday September 27, 2014 challenged pastors and church leaders to “name and shame” corrupt members in their churches.

Mr Ayamdoo was addressing church leaders in the Volta Region on corruption at a forum in Ho organised by CHRAJ on the theme; “Building Broad Coalition for Combating Corruption and Enhancing Integrity in Ghana.”

He urged them to report members of their churches suspected to have conducted themselves in corrupt ways to relevant institutions for investigation and prosecution.

The Director described the church as a very important institution, which has a great role to play in the fight against corruption and charged the leaders to rise up to the task.

Participants on the hand expressed worry about the protection of the whistleblower and cited cases where some whistle blowers were victimized.

He stated that disgracing corrupt members was not an exposure of their families and that it was important for the churches to rid their congregations of corrupt people.

Mr Ayamdoo asked the leaders to develop specific strategies which would make it difficult for corrupt members to fit into their congregations and force them to change.

He said it was time churches said no to corruption and urged them to stop celebrating corrupt members who showed-off in church and respect the simple and honest ones.

Madam Seyram Agbemenya of the Ghana Integrity Initiative urged churches to re-visit the country’s value system and place premium on honesty instead of materialism.

She said it was important for leaders to uphold the principles of accountability and transparency in their churches to be good examples to their followers.

Head Pastor at Perez Chapel, Ho, Reverend Robert Kwao, asked pastors to be firm and expose corrupt members adding, “Righteousness is profitable, our value is Godliness and not money.”

Rev. David Eleblu, Head Pastor of Victory Bible Church, said corruption was everywhere including the church and called for stern punishment to deter people from indulging in it.