Stakeholders advocate passage of 'Conduct of Public Officers Bill' to fight corruption in Ghana

Stakeholders have advocated for the passage of the 'Conduct of Public Officers Bill' to help the country in the fight against corruption.

Speaking at the maiden 'National Dialogue' held at the University for Development Studies (UDS) on Tuesday, August 30, 2022, the various speakers, called for the passage of the Bill which has been laid in Parliament for several years now.

The 'Conduct of Public Officers Bill' was laid in Parliament as a draft Bill in 2013, and was relaid in 2022, but has since not been debated nor passed into law.

The Bill provides a gamut of stringent administrative measures and sanctions to deal with violations of the law, ranging from a bar against holding public office for limited and indefinite periods to penal measures.

It also seeks to strengthen the role of CHRAJ in the investigation of allegations of contravention of or non-compliance with the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, including conflict of interest, non-declaration of assets and illicit enrichment.

The speakers included Mrs. Mary Awelana Addah, programmes manager at the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Mr. Manasseh Azure Awuni, an Investigative Journalist and Lawyer Samson Lardy Anyenini, a Private Legal Practitioner and host of Newsfile on JoyFM.

The dialogue was on the theme "Ethics, Corruption and Sustainable Development" organised by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIR) at the University for Development Studies(UDS).

It was held at the Andani Andan Council Chamber and brought together stakeholders in the corruption fight such as the security services, CSOs, media and academia.

The dialogue also created an opportunity for the University to launch its short courses named " Ethics and Social Responsibility at Workplaces" aimed at improving ethics and discipline among office workers and public servants in Ghana.

The programs manager at the Ghana Integrity Initiative, Mrs. Mary Addah, in her delivery, said corruption was on the increase in Ghana despite several efforts by both the government and CSOs.

She also said most of the laws that were passed to help fight corruption in the country were not fully complied with, creating room for more corruption activities in Ghana.

She lauded the drafting of the 'Conduct of Public Officers Bill' and the Assets Declaration Laws but called for their effective implementation.

On his part, an Investigative Journalist and former staff at JoyNews, Mr. Manasseh Azure Awuni, said corruption was hampering development in Ghana and urged Ghanaians especially public and state officials to shy away from corrupt acts.

He also encouraged the youth to work harder so that they would not need to bribe their way through before they could have access to what was lawfully due to them.

A Private Legal Practitioner and host of the Newsfile, a weekend programme on JoyFM and TV, Lawyer Samson Lardy Anyenini, speaking via zoom, called on the citizens to support the state securities in fighting corruption in Ghana.

He also appealed to the auditor general department to ensure that it applies the rules and regulations governing the spending of public funds and procurements.

The Vice Chancellor of the University who chaired the event, Professor Gabriel Ayum Teyi, in remarks, called for pragmatic measures that will help improve ethics at public institutions.

He also urged workers in public offices to be guided by the moralities and principles that govern their institutions.