Ms Mary Addah, a Program Manager of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), a local Chapter of Transparency International, has urged Ghanaians to collectively stand up against corruption by going to anti-corruption institutions to report cases.  Speaking at a public symposium organized by Citizens’ Movement against Corruption (CMaC) in Accra, she mentioned the consequences of corruption to include lack of development, poverty, widening of the gap between the poor and rich.

According to her, in instances where citizens have been up and doing, there had been accountability and transparency on the part of leaders.  She expressed regrets over the low number of corruption cases lodged since the promulgation of the Whistle Blowers Act in 2006.  People often decline to report corrupt cases because they are of the view that less or no actions would be taken or they would be victimized.

Ms Addah was not happy with Ghana’s rating on the Corruption Index, pointing out that, whiles some countries were scoring 9.6  out of 10; Ghana was only scoring four.  Incentives for corruption are high because the society entertains the acts of corruption hence allow people to act with impunity.

Ms Addah called for more education on corruption and transparency on the part of leadership from homes to the presidency.

Mr. Edem Senanu, Co–Chairman of CMaC, noted that, corruption had been termed as the abuse of entrusted power for personal gains.  The CMaC is a movement rallying support and unifying all efforts of the citizenry to fight corruption. It also seeks to serve as an alliance between civil society organizations and the private sector to address corruption and its negative impact on national development.