The Executive Secretary of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) in Nigeria, professor Sadiq Isah Radda has said fighting corruption requires the collaboration between the three arms of government; Executive, Judiciary and the Legislature in every country.
According to him countries within the African continent need to collaborate, cooperate and coordinate and speak with one voice on the fight against corruption.
“That is why we in Nigeria feel if our brothers and sisters in Ghana should be contacted so that we work together to fight corruption in Africa. We are the only people who can do it ourselves and nobody can do it for us well”, he said in an interview.
They are currently on a working visit in Ghana visiting anti-corruption institutions and can call on the Judiciary Committee in Ghana’s Parliament, he stated.
As to what can be done to address issue of Nigerians arrested in Ghana and same with Ghanaians arrested in Nigeria, he noted that, “you see not every Nigerian in Ghana that is bad so those of them that are committing one offence or the other can be subjected to the due process of the law. What we do not want is a situation where some of them are victimized.
But, anyone found of committing an offense in Ghana, Chad, Rwandan and Nigeria should be arrested and subject to the due process of the law but that does not mean every Nigerian in Ghana is an offender and every Ghanaian in Nigeria is an offender”, he emphasised.
On the issue of drug trafficking at the various airports within the sub-region and Africa, he noted that citizens need to cooperate with anti corruption agencies with good information and timely information; sea-ports and borders should be encouraged to work very well and we should also deploy technology.
Again, our religious and political leaders and opinion leaders should be good models; if we do this jointly we can achieve success.
As to what some of the challenges they face are, he noted that the kind of laws we have are different, despite there are similarity, but not exactly the same; the laws are different and poses challenges, he added.
More so, there are culture differences, and thirdly there are political differences. There are problems to do with the attitudes of the people; the people in the continent exhibit different attitudes so all these jointly pose a challenge but if we keep talking and collaborating, we can break all these barriers, he said.
Touching on whether the laws being used in fighting corruption are enough, he noted that laws improve if they are implemented fully, as one can only tell whether a law is good or bad it is implemented fully.
“So, let us get to a position where countries in Africa can implement all their laws, rules and regulations; along the line we will be able to know which part of the rules has problem but for now many of the laws are not implemented fully”.
He expressed hope that if we show commitment and implement the laws fully and with sincerity, it is only then that we can change and reform them.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com
● Limited budgetary allocation for the purchase of vehicles. For the avoidance of doubt, purchase of new vehicles shall be restricted to locally assembled vehicles;
As a first step, however, the headline rate will be reduced to one percent (1%) of the transaction value alongside the removal of the daily threshold.
Mr. Speaker, key expenditure measures will also be pursued to support the fiscal consolidation process.
The Finance Minister who disclosed this when he presented the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government in parliament on Thursday, 24th November, 2023 said the country’s heavy dependence on imports places tremendous pressure on the Cedi, creating an unfavourable balance of payments position.
Peoples whose livelihood the Akufo -Addo/Dr. Bawumi administration has severely undermine through mismanagement of the economy.
“Based on the above, Hon. Inusah Fuseini sought Executive Approval to implement the recommendations of the Committee, and on 5th September, 2013, President John Dramani Mahama gave executive approval for the release of the land to the Owoo family,” Mr. Owusu-Bio stressed.
Mr. Benito in his answer on steps being taken by the Ministry to operationalize mining of minerals discovered in the Oti Region, said government is still at the exploratory stage of the mining value chain of the iron ore mineral. “Currently, the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GIISDEC), the statutory body responsible for the promotion and development of an integrated iron and steel industry in the country, is undertaking mineral resource estimation at one of the seven blocks in the Gyamurume and Wawaso areas” He added
“Government has implemented several policies and programmes aimed at coming to grips with this canker. We declared river bodies as red zones for mining, banned reconnaissance, prospecting and/or exploration in Forest Reserves, launched Operation Halt II to rid river bodies and forest reserves of illegal mining activities, introduced speed boats and river guards to patrol and protect our river bodies, banned the manufacture, sale and/or use of the floating platform, popularly referred to as Changfan, enhanced the punishment regime for persons involved in illegal mining, revamped Community Mining Schemes and developed an Operational Manual to regulate their operations.”
The 2023 Budget Statement is expected to among other things;
Among the schools include Jamasi No1; Opinamang and Presby Schools, Nkawkaw, Owusukrom LA Basic Schools, Awenade Aglican School, St francis basic schools.