Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, former Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), expressed deep concern over the pervasive and widespread public corruption in Ghana, asserting that it has led to a decline in citizens’ economic well-being.
Addressing the audience at the Constitutional Day Public Lecture organized by the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Law School and the One Ghana Movement, the former EC leader criticized public institutions and personnel for their insufficient efforts in combating this issue.
“Throughout the years, our nation and its people have experienced a decline in prosperity, primarily attributable to the widespread corruption, especially within the public sector. Unfortunately, some of our crucial public institutions are transforming into entities of questionable integrity. Candidates who lose elections are increasingly making allegations of manipulation and rejecting the outcomes,” remarked Dr. Afari-Gyan.
He advocated for concrete measures to enhance the public’s perception of corruption, emphasizing the importance of building trust and confidence in public institutions.
“By and large, we have struggled to disseminate democratic principles widely within our society, resulting in a general lack of predictability in our social life, which discourages proper behavior. While some may argue that these issues are mere perceptions rather than tangible problems in our society, the significance of perception in building trust and confidence in public institutions is as crucial as the actual reality,” he added.
