PPP rallies public support in fight against corruption

The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has called on all concerned citizens to join hands with the party to demonstrate publicly against corrupt officials.

According to the party, it is imperative for all Ghanaians to help plan and participate in this worthwhile public demonstration to purge the country of what the party called the “kleptocratic elements that have crept into the body politic.”

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, the National Chairman of the party, Mr Brew Hammond, described corruption as  “the rot that is killing our nation.’’

In the view of the PPP National Chairman “this get-rich-quick-by-any-means-possible mentality has not only infected the youth but also the public service.”

He said the canker had made people become skeptical about anybody and anything political.

Nii Brew Hammond said in the Fourth Republic, for example, judgement debts and negotiated settlements had become a fiendish art and a path to quick riches for those with the right contacts in government.

He said the PPP would continue to offer suggestions that would help fix the ‘’broken system by raising their voices to demand change.’’

He said the changes included the turning of the office of Attorney-General into an independent prosecutor’s office so that the office would be removed from the negative influence of partisan politics to enable it to deal with all forms of corruption as well as corrupt practices.

Mr Hammond said the party was also calling for the separation of the Legislature (Parliament) from the Executive (Presidency) so that effective check and balances could take place.

He said the PPP was also calling for the removal of the hand of the executive from the metropolitan, municipal and district assembles so as to take away from the assemblies partisan patronage which had proved inimical to their development.

The National Chairman of the PPP stated at the press conference that the party was also calling for the establishment of a ministry of public services to continuously seek improvement in the way work was done and take steps to strengthen public institutions against corrupt practices.

Mr Hammond said the party had taken into consideration concerns raised by well-meaning Ghanaians to postpone the planned demonstration until after the Supreme Court ruling.

He said the party had, therefore, written to the Police Service to announce a new date of September 10, 2013, so that the police could provide the personnel needed to protect citizens engaged in a legitimate constitutional exercise.

The PPP vowed that the anti-corruption crusade would not stop, because by dealing with corruption ‘’we can double government revenue to pay for transformational initiatives in education, healthcare and job creation.

By Abdul Aziz, Accra
Daily Graphic/graphic.com.gh/Ghana