General News of Friday, 10 October 2014

Source: tv3network.com

Ghana’s international image has dropped due to corruption – C’wealth Adviser

Governance Advisor at the Commonwealth Secretariat Dr Roger Koranteng says Ghana’s international image has dropped drastically as a result of economic crisis and more importantly the plethora of corruption cases in the country.

He said delegates have walked up to him at international fora he has attended recently to lament over Ghana’s dwindling fortunes.

Dr Koranteng made these known on TV3’s Agenda on Thursday, October 9.

“The situation about Ghana is not favourable at all,” he observed from his base in London via Skype.

The Director of Commonwealth’s Anti-Corruption Center said more has to be done to bring the situation under control as it is raising hackles within international circles.

Executive Director of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) Vitus Azeem stated that corruption is growing pervasive and more dangerous for the country.

According to him, most of the cases being uncovered are not properly dealt with.

He cited cases such as the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA), stressing that though culpable officers have been removed from office, government has failed to retrieve the funds involved.

A Former Minister of State, Albert Kan Dapaah, who once chaired Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, said corruption has been a canker past governments have struggled to deal with.

He, however, observed that the current cases are alarming as a result of the quantum of monies involved.

He praised civil society for demanding accountability, which he cited as a reason for the revelations so far.