The National House of Chiefs has attributed the numerous uncompleted projects, joblessness, broken homes, poverty, suffering and the general slow pace of development to the failure of successive governments to fight grotesque corruption.
They noted that there had been countless number of corruption cases recorded in the past and present governments, and yet no government was able to gather the confidence to fight it.
According to a statement jointly signed by Togbe Afede XIV and Daasebre Nana Kwebu Ewusi VII, President and Vice President of the National House of Chiefs respectively, the list of scandals and controversies was endless which had benefited few individuals, but kept hurting the country in many ways including diversion of resources from urgently needed development projects, increased the government debt, caused leakages, distortions, difficult management of economy, undermined price and exchange rate stability.
“Corruption has also undermined productivity, ability of economy to create jobs and incomes, discouraged hard work, stifled innovation, initiative, short cuts to wealth, contributed to increasing crime rate, acrimony into politics, bred indiscipline, vigilantism, harmed image of our nation, mass poverty and suffering.
“We expect our leaders to determine, commit and dedicate themselves to working for advancement of the citizenry, restoration of dignity, pride, after 62 years of nationhood, the citizenry are still muffled by poverty and cannot access basic necessities of shelter, food, water, health, education, electricity, roads, drainage, jobs, incomes, enhanced living standards, happiness and the citizenry taking own lives due to unbearable living conditions.
“We cannot comprehend why the country should struggle to cater for basic needs of the citizenry in spite of available natural resources, unimaginable fertile land, vibrant, energetic, educated, united, peace-loving human resource, did not have to be poor and encouraged the youth not to allow themselves to be used by self-seekers to attack few people who dare to speak for them.
“The citizenry must begin to insist on their traditional and political leaders to use the resources of the state prudently for their benefit in pursuance of development needs since leadership is an opportunity to serve, not to exploit and must hold our leaders to account,” the statement said. -GNA
