Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, on Monday launched the National Integrity Awards Scheme, describing it as a deliberate national effort to celebrate ethical leadership and restore public trust in governance. Speaking at the Parliament House, he said Ghana’s future depended not only on policies and institutions but also on the values the nation chose to uphold, honour and reward. “Today, we are making a national statement: Ghana must be a nation in which honesty is celebrated, ethical leadership is valued, accountability is a given, and integrity is treated not as an ornament of public life but as its foundation,” he stated.
The launch was attended by a representative from the Presidency, the Chief Justice, Ministers of State, Members of Parliament (MPs), as well as representatives from the judiciary, security services, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MMDAs), diplomatic corps, and civil society. It was on the theme: “Promoting Integrity, Celebrating Ethical Leadership, and Inspiring National Development.” Mr Bagbin said the launch had come at a time of growing public demand for ethical governance and while acknowledging the progress being made under the Fourth Republic, he admitted that issues such as corruption, abuse of office, conflict of interest, and weak enforcement continued to erode confidence. “We cannot only condemn corruption; we must also honour integrity.
We cannot only punish wrongdoing; we must also celebrate rightfulness,” the Speaker said. Tracing the origins of the agenda to a 1998 Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) integrity conference and the 2015 National Anti-Corruption Action Plan, Mr Bagbin said Parliament had now moved to “bring this long-standing national aspiration into practical reality.” He outlined reforms under his leadership, including the establishment of an Ethics and Standards Committee, a Commissioner for Ethics and Standards, and a Legal and Governance Services Division with departments for Anti-Corruption, Investigations, and Human Rights within the Parliamentary Service. “Parliament is uniquely positioned to champion this initiative because it is the people’s sovereign authority… If Parliament is to play this role effectively, it must not only legislate for integrity; it must also help create a culture in which integrity is visible, valued, and rewarded,” he adde…
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