President John Dramani Mahama has expressed his administration’s recommitment to the fight against corruption, warning that those who serve in public office must be prepared to be accountable to the people.
To accomplish that, he said, the Public Officer’s Code of Conduct Bill would be laid before Parliament for passage at its next session.
“This will codify the conduct of public officers and issue guidelines on conflict of interest,” the President said.
Speaking at this year’s national May Day parade in Koforidua last Friday, President Mahama said a new assets declaration regime would also be approved by Parliament in order to ensure that the assets declaration regime was made more meaningful.
“I want to thank the Chief Justice and the Judiciary for setting up the newly created additional High Courts.
“From this year, persons indicted in the Auditor-General’s reports will be prosecuted in these new courts in addition to the Auditor-General’s power of disallowance and surcharge,” he said.
Special powers for OSP
Speaking on the recent controversy over the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the President said while some of the issues were pending appeal and Supreme Court interpretation,the government believed that there was space for an effective OSP with special powers of prosecution.
He said the government had, through the Attorney-General, laid a bill in Parliament to give legal effect for the setting up of regional tribunals.
“These regional tribunals will help to speed up the system of justice,” he said.
To the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and sister unions, the President said they were the government’s partners on the journey of reset.
He, therefore, thanked them for the industrial harmony the country had enjoyed so far.
“I know the sacrifices you have made, and I know that the road to recovery has been steep. But I wish to promise the Ghanaian worker that as the economy grows, you will be the first to benefit,” President Mahama said.
President Mahama said national economic growth must filter down to the pockets of the Ghanaian worker, including the teacher in the classroom and the technician at Akosombo.
He urged all Ghanaian workers to let the spirit of Koforidua, the host city for the May Day commemoration, which he said was known for its resilience and beauty, to “inspire us today”.
We’ll all rise together
The President said as he continued his tour of the Eastern Region, meeting with the chiefs and people, he was reminded of “why we do what we do”.
“We do it for the young graduates who just come out of school seeking a first job. We do it for the retiree who deserves a pension that can buy more than just medicines, and we do it for the progress of our country, Ghana.
‘We are resetting this nation for a quantum leap beyond the stabilisation of the past towards a future of shared prosperity,” President Mahama said.
He said the workers of the country were “the heart of this nation”.
“You are the hands that build our schools, you are the minds that heal our sick and the souls that sustain our democracy,” he said.
The President added: “On this auspicious day, I assure you that Ghana will rise, and we will all rise together with Ghana”.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh