Bede Ziedeng Cries Over Corruption

The Northern Regional Minister, Bede Zedeng has expressed worry about the high perception of corruption in the country, especially in government agencies, blaming the situation on government’s failure to sign the convention on combating bribery.

He observed that corruption is detrimental to the development of the country and called on policy makers and stakeholders to fashion out effective strategies to deal with it decisively.

According to him, the fight against corruption was a collective responsibility of all in society. He bemoaned the over politicization of corruption-related cases in Ghana. The political history of the country, he added, was replete with corruption leading to accusations and counter-accusations.

At this year’s Harmattan school organised by the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale, the Minister appealed to the citizenry to help various stakeholders in combating corruption rather than attributing it to a particular regime. He said since 2006, the country’s ranking on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index had improved.

He disclosed that plans were far advanced to amend the Public financial administration and procurement Act and the Criminal Offences Act to include all aspects of corruption as contained in the United Nations Convention against Corruption and UN Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption.

Mr. Ziedeng maintained that the work of the Sole Commissioner for Judgement Debt will help tackle the menace that has depleted the coffers of the State and called on civil society to partner government in the passage of the Right to Information Act.