By Dorothy Frances Ward, GNA
Kumasi, Nov. 13, GNA – Madam Mary Awelana Addah, Programmes Manager of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), has charged faith-based organizations and religious leaders to lead the crusade against corruption in the Ghanaian society.
She said it was imperative for religious leaders to let adherents know that corruption was a sin against God and must therefore be abhorred by every means possible.
Speaking at a two-day workshop on corruption at Ejisu, Madam Addah, expressed worried that corruption was so pervasive in the Ghanaian society, which boast of about a chunk of its population being religious, belonging to one religious organization or the other.
The workshop held under the theme, “enhancing the role of faith-based and civil society organizations in the fight against corruption”, was organized by GII for religious leaders and faith-based organizations.
It was part of the interfaith anti-corruption project titled “Speak-Up, Resist and Report Corruption”, which targets faith-based organizations and religious leaders due to the strategic and monumental roles they played in shaping values and integrity in the country.
Madam Addah said it was the responsibility of religious leaders to use their platforms to speak on the benefits of a corruption-free society, where all people and institutions acted accountably, transparently and with integrity.
She said encouraging people to uphold moral and religious values of integrity, honesty, transparency, hard work, empathy, love for one another, could go a long way to reduce greed, the main underlying cause for corrupt activities.
The GII Programmes Manager noted that as part of the project, GII with support from DANIDA, had developed a manual to share knowledge, build the capacity of key partners and empower citizens to speak up and resist corruption.
Participants were taken through topics such as understanding corruption, legal frame work for fighting corruption, anti-corruption strategies, the role of non-state actors in addressing corruption and reporting it.
Madam Addah said corruption was a criminal offence which was plaguing many countries, including Ghana, and that using Koran and Bible verses could help with the advocacy at all levels.
She said an effective corruption reporting system, good record keeping, effective management practices in public institutions and high levels of integrity could also help reduce corrupt practices.
Madam Addah urged the media to actively get involved in the fight against corruption by sensitizing the public on its negative impacts on society.
GNA
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