The
Okyenhene,
Osagyefo
Amoatia
Ofori
Panin,
has
made
the
case
for
stiffer
punishment
for
officials
found
culpable
in
acts
of
corruption
to
set
the
country
on
the
path
of
transformational
development.
“To
me
corruption
has
left
the
realm
of
criminality
to
evil
and
must
be
punished.
Where
corruption
thrives,
poverty
and
non-prosperity
thrives.
Corruption
is
filthy,
it
is
a
despicable
act
of
treachery
and
keeps
a
nation
like
ours
from
true
development,”
he
stressed.
The
Okyenhene
was
speaking
at
a
public
lecture
on
“Transformational
leadership
in
contemporary
Ghana”
held
at
the
University
of
Ghana
in
Accra
on
Wednesday.
Organised
by
the
Graduate
Students
Association
of
the
University
and
dovetailing
into
the
25th
anniversary
celebration
of
his
ascension
to
the
Akyem
Abuakwa
stool,
the
empowerment
and
leadership
lecture
was
aimed
at
inspiring
leadership
to
deal
with
contemporary
challenges
facing
the
country
and
the
world
at
large.
Describing
corruption
as
a
global
pandemic
with
dire
consequences
for
developing
countries
like
Ghana,
his
Royal
Majesty
bemoaned
how
successive
leadership
of
the
nation
have
dealt
with
the
canker
with
kids
gloves.
This,
he
observed
was
despite
incessant
advocacy
by
civil
society
on
the
need
for
leadership
to
uphold
integrity,
truth
and
accountability
to
restore
hope
among
Ghanaians.
“It
irks
me
to
find
that
public
officers
go
to
the
coffers
to
take
monies
to
book
flights
to
same
countries
and
people
who
once
colonised
and
stole
from
us
and
we
must
stop
it,”
he
maintained.
Touching
on
the
economy,
the
Okyenhene
criticised
the
fiscal
indiscipline
by
government
that
has
plunged
the
country
into
“economic
slavery.”
He
said
the
resort
to
the
International
Monetary
Fund
(IMF)
and
the
World
Bank
for
bailout
continues
to
place
the
nation
at
the
mercy
of
their
terms
and
conditions.
“I
do
not
blame
the
government
for
looking
to
get
money
somewhere
but
once
you
go
for
that
money
you
lose
your
right
to
bargain.
Economic
slaves
do
not
own
property
and
often
are
made
to
settle
for
less
as
they
do
not
think
they
deserve
more.
“Once
you
go
for
an
IMF
bailout,
you
lose
your
bargaining
power
and
then
you
negotiate
out
of
fear
or
you
fear
to
negotiate.
So,
when
we
are
broke
and
we
bring
in
the
IMF
and
the
World
Bank,
rightfully
so,
they
come
in
with
their
conditions
and
that’s
why
you
wonder
why
we
have
some
of
these
ridiculous
mining
and
mineral
laws
that
take
away
our
birth
right,”
he
said.
The
Okyenhene
pointed
out
that
it
was
a
result
of
such
circumstances
that
the
country
had
lost
out
on
developmental
initiatives
like
the
fight
against
illegal
mining
(galamsey).
Challenging
Ghanaians
to
demand
for
change
and
not
be
afraid
to
voice
their
concerns,
Osagyefo
Ofori
Panin
further
encouraged
the
citizenry
not
to
renege
on
their
individual
contributions
to
making
Ghana
great
and
strong
once
again.
BY
ABIGAIL
ANNOH