Govt asked to react to alleged corruption

Ho, May 22, GNA- Dr Steve Manteaw, Media and Campaigns Coordinator of the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) has noted that it was not prudent for Government to disregard media allegations of underhand dealings against public officers.

He said it was in the interest of the nation and officials whose integrity were being questioned by such publications, to order public investigations about such allegations.

Dr Manteaw was speaking at a public forum organised by the Ghana National Association of Teachers in collaboration with ISODEC, in Ho on the 2005 budget.

He said since certain suggestions of bad conduct against some public officers had been proved to be true in the past, media snippets of corruption against such officers should serve as leads for investigations.

Dr Manteaw said constitutional bodies such as the Special Fraud Office and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice should as a matter of course investigate such hints on their own accord. "They are state institutions and needed not to be pushed to do their jobs," he said.

Dr Manteaw said public officers were there to "husband resources of state on our behalf" and therefore answerable at all times to the people.

Mr Kofi Osei-Afoakwa, Finance Officer of the Ho Polytechnic said the nation should aim at higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to enable it attain the middle income status as early as possible. Mr Stephen Awunyo-Akaba, a Development Planning Consultant said the country's impressive macro economic indicators should reflect in the lives of the people.

Targeted real GDP growth for 2005, according to the budget, is 5.8 per cent. In 2004, the nation achieved a GDP growth of 5.8 per cent as against the projected 5.2 per cent.