New strategic plan to enforce anti-corruption laws launched

A new strategic plan with a commitment to enforce all anti-corruption laws in the country to focus on educating the citizenry on the forms of corruption and its impact has been launched.

The four-year plan (2020-2024) will also focus on building a vibrant, robust and self-sustaining coalition by 2024, sustaining advocacy for law enforcement and campaigning for the strengthening of anti-corruption laws.

It is under the auspices of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) to built the capacities of investigative institutions to level to unearth and reveal numerous malfeasance that are occurring in rapid regularity.
 

Launching it, Nana Osei-Bonsu, the Board Chairman of the Coalition, lamented that the country had good laws but lack of enforcement because the investigative capacities are not adequate enough to allow prosecution of corrupt officials.

“Corruption is still rife and perpetrators are living in safe haven and there is the need for holistic approach to address phenomenon however, Ghana’s score on the Corruption Perception Index has dropped from score of 48 in 2014 to 41 in 2018.

“We live in time when our youth can no longer get jobs by merit but by association with powerful political and non-political figures, we need new approach to fighting corruption that goes beyond single actor, no matter how powerful that actor may be, need for the government to engage civil society and the citizenry in fight against corruption and apply laws impartially to deter others.

“The government must provide permanent office space for operations of secretariat to ease burden of rent to demonstrate to the citizenry desire to engage viable partners to prevent and fight corruption since over the years, the coalition has engaged with stakeholders, including organs of the government to prevent and prosecute corrupt officials,” Nana Osei-Bonsu pointed out.

 Andrew Barnes, the Australian Ambassador to Ghana, encouraged the coalition to continue with fight against corruption because the act stifled economic growth and leads to poverty. Eliminating corruption will help achieve agenda of Ghana Beyond Aid towards a friendly environment for sustained investment.

 Amidu-Ibrahim-Tanko, the Chief Executive Officer, Star Ghana Foundation, commended GACC for the initiative because the plan would help restructure and refocus operations in fight against corruption and assured of foundation’s collaboration with coalition to promote anti-corruption efforts, integrity through sustained, efficient and effective coordination of state and non-state operators. -myjoyonline.com