The LRC has participated in a town hall meeting on media and corruption in Ghana on the theme “Assessing the Performance of the Media in Fighting Corruption in Ghana: Two years into Akufo-Addo`s Administration”.
Delivering the keynote address at the event, Mr. Daniel Yaw Domelevo, the Auditor-General of Ghana indicated that corruption has permeated every fibre of the Ghanaian society “to the extent that it cannot be completely eradicated”. He however stressed that the Anti-Corruption campaigners should not renege on the fight against corruption and corrupt practices in Ghana. According to Mr. Domelevo, it was time for the managers of the nation to put in place effective and efficient systems to minimize persons to persons contact to reduce the menace. There should be mass education and Ghana`s educational system should also introduce the concept of teaching about what constitutes corruption and corrupt practices at the basic school level to inculcate in pupils at the tender age.
During her remarks, Mrs Linda Ofori Kwafo, Executive Director of Ghana Integrity Initiative disclosed that one of the ways in fighting corruption in Ghana was the urgent need to pass the Right to Information (RTI) Bill into law. She encouraged the media who are part of the RTI Coalition to continue to use their space to campaign to pass the RTI Bill which has travelled for about two decades into law. Mrs. Kwafo said that as Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), we are making efforts in this vein, however; the contribution of the media will amplify our voices towards the greater need for transparency and accountability of the government mandate.
The forum which was organized by the Media Foundation for West Africa in partnership with CITI FM brought together media experts, journalists, CSOs, government representatives and the diplomatic corps to deliberate on the media’s role in fighting corruption.
Over the years, Ghana has consistently scored low marks in the annual Corruption Perception Index, evidencing the presence of corruption in the country. As the media being the fourth arm of government, it is equally essential to assess the performance of them with regard to its constitutional mandate to hold duty-bearers and public officials accountable. LRC therefore entreats the media to be non-partisan and continue to use their space to always expose corruption and corrupt practices in Ghana.
The LRC, a member of the RTI Coalition together with other Anti-Corruption institutions remains committed on the campaign towards the passage of the RTI Bill into law to help fight the endemic menace of corrupt practices in Ghana to ensure human rights and dignity for all.
