Co-Chair of the Citizens’ Movement Against Corruption, Edem Senanu, has appealed to Ghanaians to reconsider the deeply entrenched cultural expectations placed on public officials, warning that societal demands are fueling the very corruption citizens decry.
Speaking on TV3’s The Keypoints on May 17, Mr. Senanu described the relentless social pressures—ranging from financial contributions at funerals and weddings to unsolicited favours as a “normalised culture of corruption” that undermines public integrity and encourages abuse of office.
“The demands we are placing on them are what is leading to some of the things we are seeing and complaining about,” he pointed out.
Senanu emphasised that the public’s expectation for politicians and officials to “do something” simply because they hold office is a dangerous trend.
“Popular phrases like ‘your boys are here’ or ‘honourable, do something,’ he explained, reinforce the idea that once in office, individuals must financially appease those around them regardless of their salary or means.
“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 questioned pointedly.
Calling for a societal reset, Senanu introduced a bold proposition:”#StopCorruptingThePublicOfficers”, a movement he believes should spark national introspection.
“Let’s rethink all of this. Seriously. Let’s stop demanding,” he urged, adding that rationalising wrongdoing because it has become a societal norm is unacceptable.
He didn’t shy away from addressing the elephant in the room: the staggering cost of political campaigns.
“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?” he queried.
