“Shouldn’t the constitution be amended or improved to make it work for all Ghanaians rather than just a few? » ask the bishops and add: “Shouldn’t the judicial system be re-equipped to eradicate corruption?
“It is clear to Ghanaians that the beneficiaries of the existing political system are not the people but the politicians, political actors and others in high positions,” they say.
“Ghanaians are witnessing the accumulated wealth that those in power gain in record time once they enter politics,” the bishops say.
They claim that Ghanaians are forced to watch helplessly because those in authority are protected by the constitution to do what they do and are never prosecuted “because politicians protect their fellow men”.
The bishops also criticized the country’s legislature for failing to uphold its mandate of representing the people, but instead sacrificing the interests of the people for personal and party interests, a notion they say is driven by the corruption.
In their nine-page statement, Ghana’s Catholic bishops also express concern over the country’s economy, which they say continues to decline despite the country being a major oil producer.
According to International Trade Administration (ITA), the oil sector in Ghana “has experienced significant growth, particularly since the discovery of oil in commercial quantities in the Jubilee fields in 2007”.
ITA reports that Ghana’s oil and gas resources stretch across the country’s coastline, from Cape Three Points in the west to Keta in the east.
Despite this, it is reported that “the country’s average crude oil production capacity has declined slightly over time, averaging 176,000 barrels per day as of September 2021.”
The bishops also express disappointment over the pathetic state of the country’s roads and the debt that continues to rise despite mineral resources.
