Civic activism is the way to fight against corruption – Atuguba

Former Supreme Court Judge, Justice William Atuguba has recommended civic activism as a way to end corruption in the country.

According to him, the government should act in the best interest of the masses and not for the personal gain of those in authority, which ultimately leads to corruption.

He said, “The best way is civic activism; the people gave the power, so they must rise up and ensure that the power is truly exercised for their benefit and insist on it.”

Justice Atuguba acknowledged that while this movement is gaining momentum in recent times, it is still somewhat late for the country. However, he stressed that more voices are needed for accountability to prevail.

“It is just beginning, although late, but it is better now. There are now so many civil societies, the ‘Fix the Country’ demonstration, and you see demonstrations on TV,” he said on Joy News Extra.

He noted that, “If leadership will cooperate with them,” the issue of corruption can be tackled successfully.

For him, the country already has all the necessary laws to fight against corruption, but the problem lies in leadership, as those in authority are failing to prioritise the fight against corruption.

“We have a number of laws already to win the battle; we don’t need more,” he said, adding that with good leadership, “We wouldn’t be in the situation we are in now.”

Justice Atuguba stressed that, “It is a very big problem, and that is why I am saying it all revolves around a genuine commitment to providing good and effective governance and trust in the people, which will then affect the institutions.”

He lamented that Ghana and many other African countries are not committed to “constitutionalism; we are not committed to the rule of law,” and these are the main factors driving corruption in society.

Source: myjoyonline.com