Mahama to launch Integrity Awards to honour incorruptible officials

Office of the President will soon launch the Integrity Awards aimed at acknowledging and encouraging incorrupt officials.

This was made known by government advisor on Governance and Corruption, Daniel Batidam at a regional dialogue of National Anti-corruption Action Plan with stakeholders in the Brong Ahafo Regional capital Sunyani.

“One of the responsibilities of our office will be to develop criteria for Integrity Awards for people who have tried to live above reproach as far as corruption is concerned and tried to do their work with integrity”.

He indicated that a lot of attention has been given to corruption – which is right – but people who are doing their work with a great deal of integrity and circumspection should also be recognized.

The absence of this acknowledgment he noted is “making them question the use of the good things they are doing because no one is noticing them. But is that right? he queried.

Mr Batidam indicated that this has necessitated the need for the creation of the awards because despite the talk about corruption, there are people who are committed to upholding integrity.

“We must go back to our roots, if today we are talking a lot about corruption it is also a good thing because we are saying this is not us, this is not our values we are different from that, but what are we? That is where we must begin to realise the importance of the people who stand up for who and what we think we are.

“I think we should place a good deal of importance on that also because otherwise we will be talking about ourselves in a manner that we don’t even know what we are looking for”.

He said there is the need to encourage honesty so that people who make efforts to live above reproach, live within their means and work for Ghana's development will feel appreciated.