The president of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, claims that rampant, unchecked corruption is strangling Ghana.
Despite being an oil producer, the nation’s persistent poverty was a point of worry raised by Rev. Gyamfi on November 13, 2023, during the opening ceremony of the 2023 plenary session in the Sunyani Diocese.
He emphasized the disastrous consequences of unbridled corruption, pointing out that it seemed to be pervasive and even accepted.
Rev. Gyamfi questioned the efficacy of the current democratic system, which appears to benefit a small number of individuals at the expense of the great majority.
He ridiculed the country’s rate of decline and the rise of corruption during the previous governments.
“Because both governments continue to borrow, a serious financial problem has emerged. Why have we fallen into this financial and economic maze? The country is being choked by the widespread unchecked corruption. It seems that corruption is now accepted. Given that the current democratic system benefits a select few while leaving the mass behind, what should Ghanaians do? What about certain politicians’ haughtiness and impunity as well as their defense of corruption?
“Should the constitution not be changed or bettered for it to work for all Ghanaians instead of for a few? Should the legal system not be re-equipped to uproot corruption? What about our Parliament where the interest of the people is sacrificed for personal and party interests? Why have we not implemented the findings of the Constitutional Review Committee?
“Can the governments tell us why we are in this situation with the economy? What justifications are available to Ghanaians from the two political parties for the unfavorable contracts we sign regarding our minerals, oil, electricity generation, etc.? Rich nations are those with an abundance of these resources. What keeps us in poverty? Ghanaians are no longer willing to accept the outdated justifications offered by the country’s governments.