The PLO Lumumba Foundation, Ghana celebrates the 15th International Anti-Corruption Day, together with all anti-corruption organizations, agencies, institutions and stakeholders worldwide.

In Ghana, the Foundation demonstrated its solidarity with the world to commemorate the day when it participated in the Ghana Walk Against Corruption (GWAC) event alongside with stakeholders in the fight against corruption at Tamale in the Northern Region on December 9, 2018.

Since the passing of the United Nations Convention against Corruption in 2005, member states has recognized the importance of fighting corruption through the enactment of laws and establishing institutions to fight against corruption.

However, the fight against corruption must not only rest in enactments of legal frameworks but also a demonstration and commitment by the citizenry to eradicate this canker.

Corruption in Africa is the teething factor which has left Africa to be the poorest continent, irrespective of her abundant and rich natural resources.

The PLO Lumumba Foundation, Ghana chapter, therefore celebrates the International Anti-Corruption Day by taking inspiration from the keynote address delivered by Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba at the 3rd Anti-Corruption Convention in Kampala, Uganda in 2013: “In the fullness of time, we Africans must embrace what is happening in Africa, corruption is something that we talk about, it’s something that we complaint about, it’s something whose negative impact we recognize, it’s something that even the corrupt acknowledges about it. But the irony and the tragedy at once is that those who engage in corruption love it, the tragedy at once is that those of us who do not engage in it directly, accommodate it, our levels of tolerance of corruption in Africa is amazing, long time ago, a great Greek philosopher said ‘’ it is in the nature of man to harm the small thieves and to elect the great ones into public office’’ we do that in Uganda, we do that in Kenya, we do that in Ghana, we do that in Africa.

And that is why Africa remains the poorest continent on earth”. (speech adapted). Africans must show a high sense of determination and zeal in the fight against corruption.

We must put a stop to corruption and corruption related practices in all our engagements.

Source: Joseph Kobla Wemakor, Deputy Head of Media and Communication, PLO Lumumba Foundation Ghana