An NGO; Aid to the Vulnerable Foundation has described a portion of a statement issued by the Ghana Integrity Initiative regarding corruption in the country as unfair.
AIDVU in a statement said it wished to “commend the constructive thought provoking advice of the Ghana Integrity Initiative to Ghanaians and beyond, contained in the press release of Thursday, December 10.”
Deputy Executive Director of the NGO; Edward Azumah ”Mansuls” Adam also adds that the ” aspect of the release which calls on President Mahama to mentor the incumbent Nigerian and Tanzanian Presidents who are still enjoying their honeymoon days and actions, is unfair”, explaining that the dynamics vary from country to country hence it does not make sense for countries to “carbon copy” each other.
Here’s the statement:
PRESS RELEASE
CORRUPTON; WHO ARE THE SINNERS AND WHO ARE SINLESS SAINTS?
One of the most topical issues that have occupied the media landscape and strong advocates of Good Governance in Ghana and the African continent today is the incessant calls for the radical reduction or complete eradication of corruption by deeds, and not by words from our society.
Aid to the Vulnerable Foundation (AIDVU) an NGO, and a member of Coalition of NGOs, Ghana, involved in Human Rights and Good Governance advocacy wishes to commend the constructive thought provoking advice of the Ghana Integrity Initiative to Ghanaians and beyond, contained in the press release of Thursday, December 10.
That aspect of the release which calls on President Mahama to mentor the incumbent Nigerian and Tanzanian Presidents who are still enjoying their honeymoon days and actions, is unfair.
Any two or more countries do not have the same characteristics in terms of ethnic, social, economic, cultural and traditional norms and values, therefore to suggest that, a President of one sovereign country should carbon copy the behaviour gymnastics of another, is to under rate the corruption fighting effort being waged by the Government of Ghana. Ghana is a constitutional democracy, and not a Military dictatorship, where the military leaders can order and arrests suspects and rush them to Military tribunals without respect for due process.
Should President Mahama adopt hasty decisions on cases reported, without going through the constitutionally laid due process, the same Human Rights advocates and the Opposition groups too, will cry foul.
The utterances of members of the opposition parties and their sympathisers in the media, both electronic and print, seem to create the impression that, Corruption actually started with the advent of the President Mahama’s administration, and therefore, they continuously use “ Corruption and Incompetence” against the NDC government, with the false hope to score undeserved and cheap political points. We all live in glass houses and should not be over judgemental because of the quick lust for political power.
Sincere and constructive calls by well-meaning citizens is a patriotic gesture, and an advice to all potential and present leadership, past Presidents, both military and civilian, Leaders of political parties and members, Government and private organisations, the security agencies, the market women, educational institutions, Students, Traditional and faith –based leaders, for, we are all guilty of this social canker called corruption.
There is abundant evidence that some Presidents and Heads of State and their parties’ gurus and members did not have the courage to even take action on corrupt cases by whistle blowers, unless they produced evidence.
In a news item for example, culled from the internet, Ghana web page, it states;
Kufuor lacked political will to pass Right to Information Bill
Category: General News January 17, 2009
Former President J. A. Kufuor
The Ghana Coalition on Access to Information (ATI) on Friday expressed disappointment about the “lack of political will,” by the former President John Agyekum Kufuor to pass the Right to Information (RTI) Bill.
The RTI Coalition has therefore challenged President John Evans Atta Mills’ government to muster the political courage to pass the bill within the first 100 days in office.
A statement signed by Nana Oye Lithur, RTI Co-ordinator, said: “The past six years have shown a lack of political will by former President Kufuor’s Government to deliver on its promise to pass the pending RTI Bill for Ghana”.
The fact that more corruption cases are now rearing their ugly heads daily in the media, one should see this development as a positive sign post, a real practical evidence that the Mahama’s administration is much more serious in action, not words and rhetoric’s in fighting corruption in Ghana. For instance, the National Service Scheme saga, former CHRAJ boss issue and the Judiciary scandal.
Edward Azumah ”Mansuls” Adam, (Deputy Executive Director) Aid to the Vulnerable Foundation (AIDVU)
Email: aidvu@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: 0501381228
