The Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, has called for bold and systemic reforms to strengthen the country’s anti-corruption architecture, emphasizing the need for constitutional amendments.
The Vice President was speaking at a High-Level Conference on Ghana’s Anti-Corruption Architecture in Accra on June 6.
The High-Level Conference spearheaded by the African Union Advisory Board Against Anti-Corruption is on the theme “Revitalising the anti-corruption architecture in Africa: Ghana’s accountability journey.”
Data from the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, and the 2022 Ghana Statistical Service Corruption Report, indicate that in just one year, over 5 billion cedis was lost to bribery alone.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also assessed that the country’s control of corruption has deteriorated over the last decade.
The Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang has therefore entreated stakeholders to recommit themselves to fighting corruption.
“We must remember that corruption is not inevitable. It is a choice to prioritize personal gain over public good, short-term benefits over long-term development, and narrow interests over national progress,” Prof Opoku-Agyemang stressed.
She advocated for the laws to be strengthened.
‘’Let us recommit ourselves to this fight; to revitalize our institutions, strengthen our laws, empower our citizens, and work together across borders to build an Africa that is truly prosperous and peaceful—driven by its own citizens and guided by the principles of integrity, transparency, and accountability,’’ she noted.
The Vice President said the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) an effort by the Mahama administration is a clear message that corruption will not be tolerated going forward.
“The launch of a comprehensive code of conduct for all presidential appointees establishes clear ethical standards from the highest levels of government. His commitment to reviewing the 1992 constitution to make it fit for purpose to meet our current governance challenges is yet another demonstration of the President’s commitment to the fight against corruption,” she stated.
Professor Naana Jane stressed the need for an environment to be created for the youth to actively participate in the anti-corruption efforts.
‘’Youth engagement is particularly crucial. Young Africans represent our continent’s greatest asset, and their digital nativity offers opportunities to leverage technology for transparency and accountability. We must create platforms for meaningful youth participation in anti-corruption efforts, recognizing that they will inherit the systems we build today,” she advised.
