By Lydia Kukua Asamoah, GNA
Accra, Feb. 1, GNA – Reverend Dr Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, a Lecturer at the Department of Religious Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, has called on tertiary institutions to consider running ethical leadership programmes to aid our development efforts.
He said education without moral, ethical, spiritual values would always produce “intelligent criminals”, hence the need for the educational curriculum to focus on “the head, hand and the heart” of the student.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Friday, Rev Opuni-Frimpong, who also is immediate-past General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, expressed regret that “ethical leadership and sound work ethics have not attracted bigger space in the public discourse, public policy formulations and national developmental efforts”.
He said ethical leadership means the respect for ethical beliefs and values and for the dignity and rights of others which also hinges on trust, honesty, consideration, contentment, and fairness among others.
Rev Opuni-Frimpong said government, developmental officers, donor agencies, and others must all acknowledge that they cannot achieve their dreams with un-ethical leaders and workers.
He said the general breakdown of ethical living continues to witness traditional leaders who continually engage in double sale of lands while some indigenous people continue to front for foreigners in contracts and extraction of natural resources.
Rev Opuni-Frimpong said the most shameful part of the social disorderliness is the numerous un-ethical people who are parading themselves in churches, miracle prayer meetings, market places, and in commercial buses in the name of prophets, bishops, and apostles and having undue advantage over the vulnerable people.
He said examination malpractices in academic institutions at all levels was getting out of hands, with some security officers having become security threats to the public.
Rev Opuni-Frimpong expressed regret that highly professionals and experts were supervising construction of shoddy roads and other public buildings and hardly bring the facts out.
He said he was worried that fake drugs and other sub-standard products have found their way into markets while the investments of innocent people has gone into the hands of corrupt people who were considered to be credible.
Rev Opuni-Frimpong decried how developmental efforts had been pursued in the country over the years without adequate attention to ethical leadership and sound work ethics.
He urged the state agencies to create space for regular formation of work ethics and sound morality.
Rev Opuni-Frimpong said ethics and morality must also remain at the heart of Christian education and formation in the country.
“The relevance of the church must be considered on the moral standards and the difference that church members bring on both public and private spheres.
“The church must raise her moral standard among young people, family life, Christian professionals, church workers and their ordained pastors.
“There is an urgent need for the re-awakening of the moral witness of the church”, he said.
GNA