The fight against corruption in Africa must be grounded on legislative, financial and institutional actions and not just on lip service, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said.

He indicated that corruption was not an exclusive African phenomenon but was spread across all nations of the world.

The President, however, explained that nations that had been successful in fighting the canker did so by building a robust legal system underpinned by the rule of law.

“They protected the public purse, made institutional reforms and enacted additional requisite laws and resource more adequately the accountability organs of state and in Ghana, that is the anti-corruption law that we are pursuing since I took office,” President Akufo-Addo stated.

 

World Convention

He was speaking in Accra yesterday at the opening of the 70th World Convention of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI).

The event, which was held on the theme, “Empowered for Service”, brought together over 2,000 delegates from across the world to fellowship.

The three-day event is being hosted for the second time on the continent in its 70-year history, after Nigeria.

The occasion began with intense worship and vibrant praises, spiced with song ministrations from the Tema Youth Choir.

There was also a choreography display by a group from the International Central Central Gospel Church who thrilled the audience with a drama dance.

Other dignitaries present at the conference included a former Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood, the Chief of Defence Staff, Rear Admiral Seth Amoama, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Adukwei Mensa, as well as government officials, clergymen, some justices of the Supreme Court and members of the Diplomatic Corps.

Corruption

President Akufo-Addo acknowledged the importance of conventions, indicating that they enabled “Christians to recharge their spiritual batteries” and also encouraged one another.

However, he said it was better when the spiritual change that Christians experienced at conventions was reflected in their dealings in their societies where they spent the larger part of their active lives daily.

“The authentic showroom for Christianity is not the church or conventions such as these but in the marketplace.

“We tend to point fingers and grumble about corruption in our respective countries. More often than not, we choose the easy road of laying the blame entirely at the doorsteps of politicians.

“We, however, forget that we have a significant number of Christians in each of our countries who, together, can help create a counterculture of honest dealings,” President Akufo-Addo stressed.

The President indicated that it was not only the corruption that involved politicians and high-profile figures that retarded progress and hindered development.

“Indeed, it is about breaking rules and regulations in many aspects of our lives and circumventing the laws that are meant to guide our society,” he stated.

President Akufo-Addo added that corruption had to do with driving recklessly and breaking all the traffic regulations and trying to bribe the police officer when pulled up.

“It has to do with not getting a proper permit to build a house and it has to do with looking the other way when something wrong is going on.

It has to do with the degradation of our environment and the pollution of the atmosphere and our water bodies. It also has to do with petty bribery and corruption,” President Akufo-Addo stated.
Commendation

 

 

How Ordinary Citizens Engage In Corruption

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated that it is not only the headline canker of corruption by politicians and high-profile figures that retire progress and hinders development but also the petty bribery, corruption and circumvention of the laws that are meant to guide the society by ordinary citizens.

These, he explained, involved breaking traffic regulations and trying to bribe the police officer, not getting proper permits to build a house, looking the other way when something wrong was going on, degradation of the environment and polluting of the atmosphere and water bodies.

The President further commended the organisers of the event for making time to incorporate a business expo and seminar on ethics and integrity at the world convention to promote honest business.

 

New beginning

The International President of the FGBMFI, Francis Owusu, expressed the belief that the convention marked the beginning of the new move of God.

Quoting Jeremiah 29:10-11, he said, the Lord was about to do a new thing, and therefore, the old things needed to be forgotten.

“We have now entered a new season of revival in the body of Christ and this fellowship has a critical role as God’s instrument to awaken all laymen to go and bring in the last great harvest before the return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

“We expect the windows of heaven to open over this convention, so let us all open our hearts and spirits to receive afresh the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit in a new wave of fire,” Mr Owusu said.