Co-Chair of the Citizen’s Movement Against Corruption, Edem Senanu, has urged Ghanaians to reflect on the excessive societal expectations placed on public officials, stressing that these cultural pressures are feeding the corruption many decry.
Speaking on TV3’s Keypoints programme on May 17, Senanu said, “The demands we are placing on them is what is leading to some of the things we are seeing and complaining about.
We are not paying them to come and be giving at funerals and weddings and naming ceremonies and paying scholarships and school fees. Where do you get all that money from?”
He cautioned that the public must not normalize such expectations from politicians, as it not only places undue pressure on them but also indirectly fuels unethical behavior. “Let’s rethink all of this. Seriously. Let’s stop demanding,” he added.
Senanu also drew attention to the ballooning cost of political campaigning in Ghana, linking it to the misuse of public resources.
“We are saying a presidential campaign is $150 million? That’s $3.1 million a month. MPs too are spending hundreds of thousands of cedis. And then we wonder why some feel compelled to misuse state resources?”
