Ghana joins Global community to mark International Anti-Corruption Day

In the words of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, "Nations can only achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development if every country has strong, transparent and inclusive institutions, based on the rule of law and supported by the public.” 

The UN Development Programme believes funds lost to corruption are estimated at 10 times the amount of official development assistance. 

What has been some of the setbacks in Ghana's quest to tackle corruption, as today (Dec. 9) is declared ''International Anti-Corruption Day''. 

Anytime, the word corruption comes up for discussion here in Ghana, most people point to a definition linked to politicians. 

Clearly, it has come to light over the years that besides politicians, corruption cuts across every sphere of society. Name them sports, education, health, sanitation and even within the private sector.   

Ghana, in 2014, adopted the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACAP) as the national strategy and blueprint to combat corruption for a 10-year period. 

NACAP is to mobilize efforts and resources of stakeholders, including government, public sector institutions, civil society, private sector, the media, faith based organisations, traditional authorities and individuals, to prevent and fight corruption through the promotion of high ethics and integrity and the vigorous enforcement of applicable laws. 

Anti-Corruption activists agree some strides have been made, but setback was due to the lack of a multi-faceted approach among others. 

Those at the fore of the fight against corruption say, they have now adopted a three prong approach making education and citizens involvement key. 

Prosecuting corrupt persons for now, is government's key agenda. With the Special Prosecutor Law in place, Senior Minister, Yaw  Osafo Marfo reiterate that culprits will soon be apprehended. But that will have to be done after substantial evidence is collected.  

According to the UN, every year $1 trillion is paid in bribes while an estimated $2.6 trillion are stolen through corruption – a sum equivalent to more than 5 per cent of the global GDP. 

That is why all governments are being tasked on International Anti-Corruption Day Today, to visualize corruption as a serious crime that can erode the socio-economic fundamentals of all society, and re-commit in unity against corruption for development, peace and security. 

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