Alexander Afenyo-Markin has argued that societal expectations placed on politicians contribute significantly to corruption in Ghana.
He believes that cultural norms, which demand generosity from leaders, create situations where politicians feel compelled to find ways to meet financial expectations, sometimes leading to unethical decisions.
“In my constituency, when a chief visits me, he is uninterested in my salary. He expects that as he comes, he must not go empty-handed.
“A constituent visits me, a pastor visits me, and he expects that I should do something,” he revealed at the 5th Annual Constitution Day Lecture.
He questioned whether how Ghanaians relate to each other plays a role in corruption. “Don’t we make ourselves vulnerable for what we call corruption? Our cultural lifestyle in itself makes the leader very vulnerable,” he noted.
He further explained how these expectations push leaders into difficult positions.
“The leader then would have to find a way of meeting that expectation, and in the process, if you don’t have it on your own, or in your quest to make somebody happy, you end up acting wrongly—and that is a fact.”
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