WORKSHOP ON DEMOCRACY HELD AT HOHOE (PAGE 39)

Story: Emmanuel Modey, Hohoe

The current Asset Declaration Law has not adequately fulfilled the objective of curbing corruption in the country because of flaws and institutional handicaps in its implementation.
The Programmes Manager of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Mrs Linda Ofori-Kwafo, who made the observation, was speaking at a two-day regional workshop on Democracy and Good Governance at Hohoe.
The workshop, which was part of the GII regional level sensitisation workshops, was jointly organised with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).
Mrs Ofori-Kwafo noted that for the law to be effective, even in its present state, there was the need for declarations to be made accessible, the rate of compliance to be made public and the Auditor-General to design and implement a verification system.
“Also there is the need for specific sanctions, the Auditor-General to embark on public education and also the issue of gifts in the law to be clarified,” she pointed out.
Mrs Ofori-Kwafo said that was because a lax and ineffective disclosure regime was most likely to provide opportunities for public officers to become corrupt.
The Hohoe District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr John Peter Amewu, in a speech read on his behalf, charged the participants, as worthy citizens, to work seriously so that their outcomes would be used as an ‘agency for democracy and good governance’ for development.
He complained that the perception of corruption hanging around the neck of people was hampering effective development.
Earlier, the Hohoe District Director of the NCCE, Mr J.B. Mensah, had welcomed the workshop, since corruption, nepotism and other social challenges like ethnic conflict and chieftaincy problems were becoming rife in the country.