Vitus Azeem is a leading anti-corruption advocate in Ghana. For over a decade, he served as the Executive Director of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII). Prior to joining GII, Azeem worked at the Integrated Social Development Centre, focusing on enhanced budget advocacy for sustainable human development. He came to Bellagio in February 2022 to write a memoir about his work, which addresses the negative effects of corruption.
A few words from Vitus:
“Bellagio gave me the time I needed to finish the book.”
Quote from Corruption in Ghana:
“If I tell the wicked, ‘O wicked one, you shall die’, and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death. But if you warn the wicked, trying to turn him from his way, he shall die for his guilt but you shall save yourself”. Ezekiel 33: 8-9. I am not Prophet Ezekiel and I cannot be him, but I believe I have a role to play and I am just trying to play that role without any malice. I love my country Ghana and my people and their future. I believe there is the need to change for the better and we can change! “YES WE CAN!”
Synopsis
The word corruption is derived from the Latin verb corrumpere, which means to destroy; spoil or break. This book could not have come at a better time in Ghana than now as we all need to be more aggressive in our fight against corruption due to its pernicious and corrosive effects on our country, its people and systems.
The effects of corruption, as detailed in this book, are concisely put by the late Kofi Annan thus: “Corruption is an insidious plague that has a wide range of corrosive effects on societies. It undermines democracy and the rule of law, leads to violations of human rights, distorts markets, erodes the quality of life, and allows organized crime, terrorism and other threats to human security to flourish. This evil phenomenon is found in all countries, but it is in the developing world that its effects are most destructive. Corruption hurts the poor disproportionately by diverting funds intended for development, undermining a government’s ability to provide basic services feeding, inequality and injustice and discouraging foreign aid and investment. Corruption is a key element in economic underperformance and a major obstacle to poverty alleviation and development.”
The book is divided into nine chapters, with each chapter dealing with specific topics under the subject matter corruption, as all will agree that corruption is hydra-headed.
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