Ghanaians from all walks of life have been charged to exercise their obligations to the state by protecting, preserving and advancing the interests of the people and country.
They must do so by demonstrating high levels of integrity and moral uprightness so that affairs of the state are managed in a transparent, accountable and just manner.
The appeal was made by Mr Justice Saeed Kwaku Gyan, a Court of Appeal judge, when he addressed the 82nd National Annual Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, which was on the theme, “Moral Uprightness – The Foundation for Economic and Social Growth.”
Mr Justice Gyan said it was when all Ghanaians recognised and accepted their obligations to the state and performed them accordingly that Ghanaians could collectively build strong institutions capable of promoting the progress of the country and improving the lot of the people.
Corrupt practices
The Court of Appeal judge – who made references to the outcome of the investigations into corrupt practices at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Department by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, the shocking revelations from the Commission on Judgement Debt, reports of misuse of public funds from the Auditor-General – said “these are staggering and so scandalous that they scar our conscience as a people”.
Betrayal of trust
The revelations, he maintained, “must cause the nation to pause and examine the calibre, conduct and attitude of public officials who are paid to protect, preserve and advance the legal interest of Ghana, but who fail or neglect to do so persistently and systematically”.
He stressed that “without a shadow of a doubt, many of the educated elite, our professionals and technocrats, together with the political class, with whom they sometimes collaborate to rape our nation to literally steal our country’s resources, have woefully failed our people”.
Mr Justice Gyan accordingly called for strong leaders, people of integrity and high moral uprightness to run the affairs of the state in transparent, accountable and just manner.
He said we needed “leaders who have conscience and who are pricked by their conscience to always put the best interest of our country first, instead of considering the interest of themselves, their families, friends and cronies as their prime objective in life”.
Mr Justice Gyan appealed to the educational institutions to reflect value-based places of instruction and graduate strong-willed persons with moral conviction and high resolve to serve society with integrity and humility. Exemplary leadership
He charged Members of Parliament, the Judiciary and the Executive to show exemplary leadership to win public trust, noting that without upright men and women serving in all the arms of government, the public service, the private sector, traditional leadership and in business, the nation could become a banana republic without a future.
He said Ghana had been blessed by God such that if the people would exhibit integrity, good faith and moral uprightness, in dealing with one another and serving the nation, with prudent management and godliness, Ghanaians would develop in dignity and self-respect and ensure that citizens lived prosperous and happy lives.
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