WK.49 BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION - WHAT ARE THE ROOT CAUSES?

BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION – WHAT ARE THE ROOT CAUSES?

KEY VERSE: They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty. 2 KINGS 12:15

SCRIPTURE LESSON: 2 KINGS 12:1-15
2 KINGS 12:1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.
2 Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
3 The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
4 Joash said to the priest, “collect all the money that is brought as sacred offerings to the temple of the LORD – the money collected in the census, the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarily to the temple.
5 Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasurers, and let it be used to repair whatever damage is found in the temple.”
6 But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priest still had not repaired the temple.
7 Therefore King Joash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and asked them, “Why aren’t you repairing the damage done to the temple” Take no more money from your treasurers, but hand it over for repairing the temple.”
8The priest agreed that they would not collect any more money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves.
9 Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. He placed it beside the altar, on the right side as one enters the temple of the LORD. The priests who guarded the entrance put into the chest all the money that was brought to the temple of the LORD.
10 Whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, they royal secretary and the high priest came, counted the money that had been brought into the temple of the LORD and put it into bags.
11 When the amount had been determined, they gave the money to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. With it they paid those who worked on the temple of the LORD – the carpenters and builders,
12 the masons and stonecutters. They purchased timber and dressed stone for the repair of the temple of the LORD, and met all the other expenses of restoring the temple.
13 The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of gold or silver for the temple of the LORD.
14 it was paid to the workmen, who used it to repair the temple.
15 They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.

INTRODUCTION
Our scriptural passage for this week deals with the level of misappropriation, diversion of funds and the general corruption that went on when King Joash ordered the repair of the Temple. The corruption involved the priests who were supervising the repairs. For more than 23 years they had collected monies from the worshippers but had refused to use the monies for the work. It was only after the work had been taken from the hands of the priests and control measures put in place that the repair work was completed. Our key verse this week reveals why the second group rather than the priests succeeded; “They did not require any accounting… because they acted with complete honesty” How does this Biblical story compare to the situation in Ghana?

EXPOSITION
Corruption may be defined as using illegal means for private gain. Corruption is a major problem in Ghana. It affects almost every aspect of our lives. Whenever corruption is mentioned, everybody thinks of politicians, the police and other public officials as the people involved. However, a close look at our society and the way we do things reveals that most every Ghanaian is involved in corruption in one way or the other. This write-up looks at our day-to-day activities and how they lead to corruption. A common proverb in Akan seems to suggest that Ghanaians have accepted corruption as part of our lives. We often hear people say: Kokofu boolbo, wo nua nni mu a won paase mma wo. This literary means if you know somebody at a place you can always have access to place.

Some people suggest that corruption has become part of our society and so we must accept it as such. They think that it is so entrenched that no government can fight it. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament sitting for the first time in public in October 2007 revealed the extent of corruption in the public life of the country. Various Ministries, the Police Service, the Judiciary and Departments were queried for financial malpractices. Some individuals were ordered to refund certain monies to the state. The findings of the committee indicate that there is the need to take steps to fight corruption in the country else the future will be bleak. The fight should not be left to the government alone. Everybody including the church must get involved.

Some Examples of Corruption in the Church in Ghana
 There are reports of misappropriation at various levels of the Church. Some have been caught pocketing the money while checking the offertory. Others in charge of tithes or welfare condone to set some amount aside to be shared among themselves without the knowledge of the minister.
 Some church leaders connive with contractors who work on church projects to over-charge so they can get a percentage of the charge.
 On some occasions monies collected for specific projects are diverted to other things and the monies are not properly accounted for.

Public Places/Offices
 Some people forge the signatories of their bosses to withdraw money from the banks. Others pay government’s or company’s money into their personal accounts.
 Some accountants or directors keep names of dead people or workers who have left their jobs on the pay roll and assign people to collect their salaries every month. These are what are termed as ‘ghost names’ on the pay roll. Government’s efforts to clean the pay roll of these names have not yielded complete results because those involved are not cooperating.
 People seeking for jobs are made to offer money before they are employed. Sex is sometimes demanded from the females before they are given jobs.
 Before a job is done for you at an office, a file is sought for you or a letter written for you money has to be offered, despite the fact that the officials in charge are paid for their jobs.
 People are given jobs or contracts only if they are relatives, friends, of the same tribe or fellow party members of the one in charge. Qualification is sometimes not a factor.
 Some accountants, domestic bursars or procurement officers inflate prices of goods bought for companies, ministries, schools or departments.
 Collusion with contractors, carpenters, masons, electricians, plumbers, painters to make illegal claims for work not done or not up to the amount.
 Payment of money to an officer or a boss to gain promotion.

The Market – some market women make undue profit by overpricing their goods. They sometimes pretend to favour the buyers because they know them but in reality they are cheating them.

Shops – sales men and women connive with buyers or inquirers to overprice or over invoice an item and pocket the difference.

Petrol Stations – sales men and women connive with drivers to cheat in the issuing of fuel receipts. It is not unusual to hear a sale man or woman asking the driver: ‘how much should I write on the receipt?’

Schools – parents are made to pay large sums of money before their children are admitted in schools.

Gifts – giving gifts to a person in an attempt to influence him to do something he would not otherwise do. Gifts in the form of bribes have the potential to weaken the hands of the receiver.

Note: It is not every gift which constitutes a bribe. Proverbs 18:16 says ‘A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great.’ This means it is not in every case that it is unlawful for great men to receive gifts. Great men may cheerfully receive gifts as expression of gratitude for favours of a higher kind conferred. However, gifts will constitute corruption if their intention is to put or bring the giver to a place he does not deserve.

The above list is not exhaustive, but they represent some of the things which Ghanaians have taken for granted. We therefore cannot accuse the government of not doing enough to fight corruption. We all have a part to play to make Ghana a ‘corruption free’ country.

THE WORD IN OUR LIVES
Kwaku and Kwame were accountants in a big company in Ghana. Each of them received four hundred Ghana cedis a month. Both were leaders in their respective churches and were well respected by their pastors and church members. Within two years Kwaku had bought a fleet of cars for his personal use and had built a nice house. People in his community praised him for his ability to save part of his meager salary to buy all the cars and the house. Kwaku was the toast of his community. However, there were some in the community who questioned where Kwaku was getting all the money for his projects.

Kwame on the other hand always lamented about the hard conditions in the country and his meager salary. He had no car and was staying in a rented house. Kwame’s wife despised him for his inability to do what his friend Kwaku was doing for his family. She could not understand why his friend Kwaku was using his money profitably but her husband kept on complaining. She even thought her husband had a girl friend with whom he was spending his money.
One day, the Company’s Board of Directors called an emergency meeting. The Company was running at a loss. External auditors were called in. It came out that Kwaku had forged the signatories of the top Directors and had withdrawn large sums of money from the company’s accounts. He had also paid some monies belonging to the company into his personal accounts. He was arrested by the police, sent to court and jailed for fraud and embezzlement. It was then that Kwame’s wife appreciated the importance of integrity. She also praised her husband and thanked him for making the family proud.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Discuss today’s passage as it relates to the theme for the lesson.
2. It may be said that “corruption is the rule rather than the exception” in Ghana. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer.
3. What role can the church play in fighting corruption within its own ranks and in society?
4. Who is to blame – the giver or receiver of a bribe? Give reasons for your answer?
5. When does a gift turn into a bribe?
6. Do you think the Government is dong enough to curb corruption? What more can it do?

BIBLE LESSON APPLICATION
Think about the various forms of corruption raised in the lesson. Of which are you guilty? Think and pray about how you can overcome them. Share with your group/class how you can help other in similar situations.

DAILY BIBLE READINGS
Monday Exodus 23:6-8 A Bribe Blinds
Tuesday Job 36:17-18 A Bribe can Turn you Aside
Wednesday Proverbs 6:32-35 Do Not Accept Bribes
Thursday Proverbs 17:8, 23 A Bribe Perverts Justice
Friday Proverbs 21:12-14 A Gift Concealed
Saturday Proverbs 15:26-27 Hate Bribes
Sunday