SHEIK Aremeyaw Shaibu, the spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, has urged all and sundry to eschew corruption because it is a human right abuse.
“If you are engaged in any form of corrupt act, that means you don’t care about the next person close to you,” he stated.
To demonstrate why corruption is a human right abuse, he said that for example if one has been given money to undertake a particular project which will be beneficial to multitudes and the money is kept in the pocket of that individual, “then you have abused the right of the people of having a fair share of the national cake.”
Sheik Shaibu was speaking at the launch of an anti-corruption training manual for faith-based organisations in Accra yesterday.
The launch, on the theme, “Improving the role of faith-based and civil society organisations in the fight against corruption”, formed part of activities marking the Ghana Integrity Initiative’s 20th anniversary and in furtherance of the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP).
The nine-part manual aims to share knowledge, build capacity of key partners, and empower citizens to speak up, resist and report corruption.
According Sheik Shaibu, “Corruption is a moral failure, it’s a dent on human conscience, it undermines our sincerity even as religious leaders, and a drain on national economy.”
He could not fathom why a country with 90 per cent of its citizens highly religious is engulfed in “unending” corruption.
The religiousness of the country, he said, was underscored by the national anthem, the national pledge and oaths public officials swear before taking public office.
“God is at the centre of our national affairs but corruption has become the common denominator in our national discourse and that is the contradiction,” he observed.
For the fight against corruption to be won, Sheik Shaibu said the religious leadership must take up the challenge and drum home the message on their pulpits.
Mrs Linda Ofori-Kwarfo, Executive Director, Ghana Integrity Initiative, launching the manual, said the church and mosque are the best platforms if the country was to make any headway in the fight against the menace, reminding them that “you are the last man standing”.
She said though citizens have a role to play in the fight against the canker, the utmost responsibility lies with the state.
“There is a level to which people can speak up, resist and report corruption. The talking becomes useless [if those in authority fail to crack the whip],” Mrs Kwarfo, who is also the Board Chair of the Office of Special Prosecutor stated.
