Participants at events attribute corruption to break down in social structure
Participants at separate events on corruption have attributed the practice to breakdown in social, morality and the desire to amass wealth irrespective of the means.
They also blamed society for hailing the rich against the poor, giving recognition to wealth without interrogating the source, sabotaging people who were committed to naming and shaming corrupt people and the lack of punishment for people who commit economic fraud or corruption due to political affiliation.
The participants during an Interfaith Project on the need for religious organisations to lead the fight against corruption said the fear of God, patriotism and willingness to do the right thing must be promoted among Ghanaians through intense civic education to curtail the growing wings of corruption and other social evils in society.
The Interfaith Project being spearheaded by the Ghana Integrity Initiative, the local Chapter of Transparency International was designed to build the capacity of religious leases to effectively play their roles in the fight against corruption and reduce the apathy on the part of Ghanaians to speak and resist against corruption.
Corruption has been identified as a major blockade to socio-economic development while making the fight against poverty eradication also difficult.
Creating awareness in the religious circles on the consequence of corruption according to Mr Michael Okai, Project Coordinator on the Interfaith Project was chosen as one channels since most Ghanaians were either Christians or Moslems with a few being traditional practitioners.
The project reinforced the need for all Ghanaians to speak up, resist and report any form of corrupt act held separate meeting with religious leaders at Shama, Ahanta West and Wassa East District assemblies to solicit support from leaders in society to lead the fight on corruption.
Corruption though an age-old practice has been condemned by the Bible and Qur’an with Biblical references such as Deuteronomy 27:25, Job 15:34, 2 Chronicles 19:7 and Exodus 23:8.
Pastor Daniel Kwesi Time, District Pastor of the Church of Pentecost, Shama who represented the local Council of Churches said righteous living would rather speed up the development of the country rather than covetous practices.
Imam. Ibrahim Hussein, Shama District Imam called on Ghanaians to uphold the fear of God to resist evils.
At Ahanta West, Imam Issaka Alhassan said “wrong doers must never be shielded in society and condemned the practices where people particularly politicians and influential people interfered in the Justice processes”.
Reverend George Ansah Aidoo, Chairman of the Christian Council encouraged Christians to let their light shine brightly wherever they found themselves as examples for unbelievers to learn from.
The Situation was not different at Wassa East, where participants and panellists pledged renewed commitment to help curtail corruption and spur development.
Source: GNA