Renowned politician Koku Anyidoho has called for the enforcement of ethics in Ghana to be taken out of the hands of political actors, warning that they would “mess it up” if left in charge.
According to him, the values that define Ghana as a nation are deeply embedded in the National Anthem and the National Pledge.
He, however, lamented that these values have been reduced to mere ceremonial recitations instead of being practised and ingrained in the daily lives of citizens.
He urged Ghanaians to embrace these values and use them as the foundation for national development.
“Our value systems are in the words of our National Anthem and National Pledge. It’s not any Bible, Qur’an or religious doctrine. But what we have done over the years is to leave these words to become what I call ceremonial deification,” he said.
Mr. Anyidoho also called for the introduction of a national mindset transformation curriculum to help instil ethical values and promote responsible citizenship.
He made the remarks at the 2026 Ethical Leadership Conference organised by GlobeEthics in collaboration with the All Africa Conference of Churches on July 10, 2026.
Speaking on sanitation, he stressed the need for Ghanaians to hold offenders accountable by boldly questioning and exposing wrongdoing, regardless of an individual’s social or political status.
“We can build a national psyche on ‘cherish fearless honesty’, so we are honest with each other. Why are you littering the place? Why are you pouring rubbish into our gutters?” he stated.
Mr. Anyidoho further underscored the importance of conferences such as the Ethical Leadership Conference, describing them as vital platforms for dialogue, learning, collaboration and collective advocacy to promote ethical leadership, accountability and integrity across institutions and society.
