Fight corruption at all levels - US envoy

Monday, June 7, 2010 (Page13)

THE United States Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Donald Teitelbaum, has urged Ghanaians to make a conscious effort to fight corruption at all levels.
“Ghana is the finest democracy on the continent today. It is, therefore, important that we make it a duty as individuals to wash our hands off corruption,” the US envoy stated.
Mr Teitelbaum made the remarks at the opening ceremony of this year’s US-government sponsored Les Aspin anti-corruption and good governance programme in Accra.
Sixteen participants from Ghana, Nigeria and Mali are participating in the programme which begins from May 30 to July 6 2010.
The five-week training programme will be conducted in two phases. They are the introductory seminars and orientation in Ghana from May 30 to June 6, 2010.
The second phase where the participants will learn how traditions of accountability function effectively and how leadership and professional responsibility compliance and enforcement standards will be held in Washington DC from June 7 to July 5, 2010.
Mr Teitelbaum stated “we are all vulnerable to corruption. We take corruption for granted sometimes because we do not notice it. It is crucial we refuse to participate in it or condone it.”
He further stated that corruption was an evil that existed around mankind as such it would be a mistake if one accepted it, adding that institutions of state would strive if corruption was wiped out or reduced to the barest minimum.
Mr Teitelbaum advised the participants to make good use of the opportunity offered them by working tirelessly to nib corruption in the bud.
For her part, the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood, said corruption posed a threat to political stability, rule of law, social justice and development.
She, therefore, underscored the need to secure judicial integrity before other national attributes could be achieved.
For that reason, a number of reforms aimed at increasing productivity, speeding justice delivery to the satisfaction of all parties as well as increasing public trust in the judiciary are currently ongoing.
Mrs Justice Wood further stated that an effective and reliable judiciary was critical and for that reason a monitoring, training and sanctions mechanisms had been put in place to ensure that justice was ofered to all irrespective of their political and social affiliations.
Mrs Justice Wood stated that the Supreme Court had played a commendable role to uphold the rule of law and good governance in the country.
The Chief Justice also highlighted the introduction of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms which had been instituted to facilitate the disposal of minor disputes among other initiatives.