The founder and leader of Crusaders Against Corruption, Mr. Emmanuel Wilson has said that the fight against corruption in the country can only see the light of day if only leadership lives an exemplary life to entice the citizens to clamp down on the menace.
Speaking on Plan BFM late afternoon show EBAANOSEN hosted by Ohene Kinnah, Mr. Wilson stressed that if leadership calls on Ghanaians to help fight corruption and they are living extravagant lifestyle with public money, how would they succumb to the request?
He said, the corrupt live with impunity, devoid of fear. They are confident in the support they would receive, even in the worst-case scenario of exposure. They enjoy backing from citizens. Initially, it was believed that the leadership was the primary issue but now it is convinced that the people are a significant part of the problem.
He said they defend and protect the corrupt, idolize them, and criticize those attempting to ensure sanity prevails.
“There exists a pervasive mantra in their echo chamber – “everyone has an interest” or “we are all the same.” This mindset undermines efforts to expose corruption” he added
He stressed that the harsh reality is that many people do not realize they are victims of corruption. And for those who do, some simply do not care. The focus is on immediate gains, whether it’s support for building a house, purchasing an apartment, or enjoying ill-gotten wealth in a luxurious city lifestyle.
“The most vulnerable, who are directly affected by corruption, blindly support it. Two primary reasons contribute to this: either they know the corrupt individuals from their region or ethnic group, or they align with the same political affiliations.
Corruption is fundamentally a moral issue, not merely a legal one. Despite prolonged legal battles against corruption, cultural change is imperative, starting with a shift in mindset.
While legal measures come into play when corrupt individuals are exposed, the current legal framework in Ghana poses challenges for law enforcement to successfully prosecute and jail them” he explained
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO), Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah has stressed the need for an all-hands-on-deck approach to the fight against corruption.
She said much as the government and its anti-corruption agencies have the mandate, every Ghanaian must bring their shoulders to the wheel in driving out corruption from the country.
“I am concerned, everybody should be concerned. What do we have to do? We must all put our hands together and we must fight whatever is fighting us. That is what I can say. The point is that, as the OSP said, if we need to fight it, then everybody must fight. I have somebody who asked me for support to pay school fees or something.
Then the moment I said I could help, she called me back to say that I should not put it on her MoMo because she owes MTN, can you imagine? And I did. So, these are small things that we think don’t matter, but they do. It starts from small things and becomes big,” she said.
According to her, the surest way to curb the canker is a change in attitude by all Ghanaians.
“So, everybody must have a change of attitude, mindset, that this is where we are and this is where we want to go. And we must all play a role in the fight against corruption. One person cannot do it. And it’s not about leadership. It’s about everybody playing a role. Whatever is expected of you, you do it, whatever is expected of me, I do it. Whatever is expected of institutions, they do it,” she stressed.
Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah acknowledged receipt of the docket on Cecilia Dapaah, former Sanitation Minister, in respect of the alleged money laundering case.
She said although the Office of the Special Prosecutor has formally submitted the docket to her outfit, she has yet to review it.
“I have that and we are now reviewing it, at the appropriate time, we will speak about it. I am not well briefed about the docket, so I don’t want to make any comment on it until we review it. The most important thing is that he has handed over, I don’t have any more thing to add,” she said.
Asked if she has heard about the story regarding the contract awarded by the Ghana Revenue Authority to Strategic Mobilization Limited (SML) she said, “You see, I don’t talk about things that I am not well briefed. If you want to talk to me about other things, fine but not on that.”
On what she makes of criticisms that her outfit is not being proactive in the fight Against corruption, the Commissioner of Police said, “We take it in good faith and we always learn. When somebody says you should have done it this way, you look at what the person is telling you. And when you think that is what you should have done, you learn from it and adjust your strategy and next time you become a better person.”
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