Fighting corruption could be a daunting task for any government.
The use of positions of power by government officials for illegitimate private gain is one of the biggest forms of corruption.
Corruption continues to plague too many countries around the world, and any government failing to protect citizens from corruption, be it abuse of public resources, bribery or secretive decision-making, is a promoter of corruption.
Public wealth should be used wisely for the public interest.
Corruption can take many forms such as providing government officials with special gifts to win contracts, admiration etc.
Bribery is unethical, and a cause for concern everywhere.
For instance, it is common knowledge that, in some countries in Africa, people who are employed to provide a public service to the citizenry do ask for bribes routinely.
Thus, all hands must be on deck to address the menace of corruption in all its forms.
In Africa today, corruption remains a major obstacle to achieving much-needed progress and development, since most leaders are involved in corrupt practices or condone corruption.
We firmly believe that lack of integrity, transparency and accountability are related to economic under-performance, and holds back progress towards poverty eradication in many developing countries.
Corruption whether they involve large or small amounts could have a serious impact on the lives of the poor and maginalised, who pay the price.
Addressing corruption should henceforth be a primary concern to governments in every nation, including our own, especially knowing that all eyes are watching their every action.
In Africa today, especially sub-Saharan Africa, there is an absolute need for a systematic investigation of corruption, and it should be done in a fair and transparent manner without any form of witch-hunt.
