Intensify public awareness of corruption - Veep urges religious bodies, CSOs
The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has urged religious groups and civil society organisations (CSOs) to intensify awareness of corruption in the country.
“The fight against corruption is an ongoing activity that all of us must be involved in,” he said.
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Dr Bawumia said this at the 88th Annual Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community at Pomadze, near Winneba last Saturday.
The three-day convention was on the theme: “Corruption, a threat to national development, peace and stability”.
Government measures
The Vice-President said the theme chosen for the convention underscored the concerns that the various segments of the population, including religious bodies had expressed at a time when the perception of corruption appeared to be high in the country.
He said the government had since 2017 undertaken pragmatic measures which had brought a major dimension to the fight against corruption in the country.
“All the things we are doing are going to bear fruits.
The Right to Information (RTI) will start working this year, the Special Prosecutor will be felt soon, we have done things that we have been trying to do in this country since independence and we have not been able to do, but we have begun the process so while we have not completed, you know that if we stay the course and put in place the system, we will deal with it,” he stated.
In this regard, he said it was incumbent on all to rise and join the fight as the government continued to do its part.
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Religious tolerance
Dr Bawumia further asked Ghanaians to resist any attempt from any individual or group to whip up sentiments of one religion against another, stressing that peace and stability were key pillars for religious tolerance.
He indicated that the religious tolerance in Ghana was a priceless gift from Allah and, therefore, it behoved all to keep the country peaceful.
Reforming social values
The Ameer and Missionary in charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Maulvi Mohammed Bin Salih, proposed that the fight against corruption start with reforming social values and promoting appropriate concepts of social justice and moral education programmes.
According to him, the country had not demonstrated any practical commitment to stamp out corruption completely or at least reduce the menace to its barest minimum.
The Ameer noted that corruption was perpetrated not only by public officials but also by persons who were in positions of trust, in private enterprise or non-profit organisations.
He advocated the creation of a common platform by the leadership of the various religious bodies in the country to champion the fight against corruption.
The Ameer said the leaders must place themselves in strategic positions to repel every act of corruption with much force.
Religious heads, he stated, must take the first step in the fight against the monstrous corruption that had eaten deep into the fabric of society for all to join in the struggle to eliminate the canker.
In a fraternal message, the Catholic Bishops Conference congratulated the Ahmadiyya community for the theme chosen for the conference, describing it as timely.