Government is building efficient systems to eradicate corruption - Bawumia

Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has said that the government is building systems through digitisation to eradicate corruption to ensure trustworthiness and promote efficient public sector management.

He said corruption thrived in a society without transparency and it was for that reason government was instituting systems to ensure transparency, accountability, discipline, trustworthiness, inclusiveness, and one which is not based on “who you know or interpersonal relationship.”

Speaking at the Episcopal Ordination of a new Suffragan Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Accra at the Most Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Accra, on Sunday, Dr. Bawumia said the world had become increasingly important and nations were deliberately developing systems that cared for all and minimise the gap between the rich and the poor.

“The whole issue of corruption is one that is enveloped with sin but we live in a society that this phenomenon is one that we need to tackle.

"Corruption thrives in the very nature of the society where there is full of darkness because darkness hides and you cannot tell who is who and where you cannot tell the identity of a person then corruption can thrive,” Dr. Bawumia stressed.

The Ordination Service was attended by high profile personalities including the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr. Henry Quartey, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Allan Kwadwo Kyerematen, and the Mayor of Accra, Mrs. Elizabeth Sackey.

The new Suffragan bishop, after going through the ordination and consecration, was given a pectoral cross as a symbol of burden that Jesus carried, a ring as a seal of faith, and a pastoral staff which symbolizes the office of the shepherd and a watch over all the flock.

The consecration was performed by the Most Reverend Dr. Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith, Dean of the Church of the Province of West Africa and Bishop of Asante-Mampong, and assisted by other bishops of the Province.

The new Suffragan Bishop subsequently took The Oath of Canonical Obedience as required by the Anglican Communion.

The new Bishop was elected as the Suffragan Bishop of Accra on 25th September 2021 by a Special Synod of Accra, in line with the constitution of the Anglican Communion.

A Suffragan Bishop is a bishop in Anglican Communion who is a subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop and so is not normally jurisdictional in the role.

The ordination and consecration were performed by the Most Reverend Dr Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith, Dean of the Church of the Province of West Africa and Bishop of Asante-Mampong, and assisted by other bishops of the Province.

The new Suffragan Bishop subsequently took the Oath of Canonical Obedience as required by the Anglican Communion.

The Right Reverend Charles Mthetheleli May, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Highveld, South Africa, in a sermon, encouraged the new Suffragan Bishop to understand that God had called, anointed and empowered him to be a "Prisoner of Hope" to the diocese, the country and to the world.

He should, therefore, bind and heal the broken-hearted and bring restoration to humanity through the power of the holy spirit.

Vice-President Bawumia said: “We are trying to put systems in place by identifying everybody uniquely with the issuance of the Ghana Card.”

"When we came into office, only four percent of the adult population in the country was registered for taxes and when we made the Ghana card number the tax identification number, together with the SSNIT number and NHIS number among others the total of the adult population with tax identification numbers has gone up from four percent to 85 percent,” he explained.

He said with the kind of system being introduced there is no need to among other things pay a bribe or use any intermediary to acquire a passport or a driver’s license or services such as the issuance of vehicle insurance and the clearing of goods at the ports.

The Vice-President indicated that these are all specific measures instituted to fight against corruption adding “We have not finished the fight even though we have made the progress we still have more to do.”

He, therefore, called for a concerted effort on the part of everyone to accelerate national development.

The Vice congratulated the newly ordained bishop and his family for their support and the feat he had chalked and asked the Church to pray for the good and peace of the country and the West Africa sub-region.

Dr. Bawumia said the role of the Anglican Church was enormous and it had contributed significantly to improving the quality of education, alleviating poverty, and shepherding leaders in the country....adding that the government was grateful for their contribution to the nation.