Fight against corruption must emanate from citizens – GII
Fight against corruption must emanate from citizens - GII
Fight against corruption must emanate from citizens – GII
Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Mary Addah, has said, “When citizens do not have access to vital information, their ability to hold officials accountable is compromised.”
Speaking at a media workshop on anti-corruption and governance reforms in Accra on October 22, 2024, Mrs. Addah pointed to public sector corruption, opaque public procurement processes, and limited youth engagement in governance as key areas of concern.
She noted that the lack of transparency around government policies, budget allocation, and public service delivery exacerbates the disconnect between the government and its citizens, leading to public apathy.
“These systemic issues are eroding trust in public institutions and delaying progress on SDG 16, particularly in the areas of governance, justice, and institutional effectiveness,” Mrs. Addah stated, highlighting SDG targets 16.4, 16.5, and 16.9, which focus on tackling corruption, fostering transparency, and building strong institutions as being especially vulnerable.
Mary Addah underscored the persistent governance challenges in Ghana that threaten political accountability and impede the country’s progress toward key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“It is time to depart from the top-down approach to fighting corruption, which has over the years yielded little results, and rather build the capacity of citizens to appreciate the devastating effects of corruption.
“This way, they can hold political establishments accountable while educating Ghanaians to change behaviors that contribute to corruption.”
GII is making a strong case for citizens to lead the fight against corruption to achieve the desired results as a country, and as part of its measure, the coalition organised a media workshop on anti-corruption and governance reforms for some selected journalists in the country.
