A presidential hopeful of the Movement for Change, Alan Kyerematen, has vowed to wage a relentless war against corruption.
Over the years, successive governments have embarked on robust measures to rid the country of corruption. The Akufo-Addo administration, for example, established the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to deal with this canker.
However, efforts have proved futile as various parameters, such as the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), say Ghana, have failed to make any significant progress.
A UN corruption report on Ghana says Ghanaians from all walks of life paid GH¢5 billion as bribes to public officials to facilitate public service delivery in public institutions in the areas of health, education, transportation, security, and justice delivery in 2021.
According to the report, the prevalence of bribery is highest in relation to police officers, 53.2%, followed by Ghana Immigration Service Officers, 37.4%, and Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs officers, 33.6%.
Despite these glaring statistics, the president of the newly formed movement is convinced he is the man for the job.
“Corruption, particularly from the public purse, denies our country the benefit of utilizing its tax revenue and other resources for the development of our country.
“All sections of Ghanaian society should wage a vigorous war on corruption, through a combination of legal and institutional reforms, the application of technology including artificial intelligence, blockchain technology and data analytics, as well as maintaining societal pressure against corruption and leading by example.
“If elected as the President of the Republic, I will sign a ‘Citizens Contract’ with the people of Ghana, committing to wage a relentless war against corruption,” he said.
He believes this is the time to focus more on “getting things done” and finding solutions to problems rather than spending time on excessive and needless debates.
According to him, Ghana is at a crossroads, and the dynamics of the current time require a transformational leader like him.