Fighting Corruption: To Name, Shame And Jail Won't Solve The Problem

The Head Pastor, United Pentecost Church International (UPCI), Sakumono Assembly, says arresting and shaming corrupt officials are not the solution to corruption since criminals have seared conscience.

Reverend Bright Owiredu says 'until Jesus comes, corruption will always be there, but what we can do is to minimize corruption and we can do that not through arrest, not through exposing and shaming as they are saying but knowing God is what will change the dynamics.'

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on corruption, Rev. Owiredu said officials would not engage in corrupt practices because people were watching, but they would refrain 'because they know there's a God out there watching what they are doing.'

He added that, 'If you think naming and shaming will stop it, you are lying; it won't because there're people who have actually been imprisoned for offenses and come out of prison to do worse things.'

Alluding to how people were hardened for the crimes they commit, he said, 'So when somebody puts his life on the line and decides this is what he wants to do, they do it with all their lives.'

He informed that people did not care going naked on social media platforms, and so the shame part was not there, adding that, 'Why do you think we arrest somebody and you want to confiscate their assets and realize they have no assets. It is a planned thing. They plan and decide on what to do in case they're caught.'

He said the Ghanaian society should imbibe in children the God-factor which would cause them to know that God was watching everything we did and would reward our every action even if men did not see.

He advised educational authorities to revive the Scripture Union concept which to him played a role in shaping the Ghanaian society in times past and that would help produce godly leaders for the future.

Reverend Isaac Ampate Ampong, the Head Pastor of UPCI, Community Eight Assembly, leaders would have to be people with integrity and must be accountable to the nation 'because every leader has been given authority and responsibility so whilst you are exercising your responsibility and role, you have to be accountable also to the people.'

He observed that checks and balances were a sure way of policing the system to ensure that extent of corruption in the Ghanaian society reduced.