CCJP challenges CSOs, media and citizens to lead the fight against corruption
Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has challenged the civil society, the media and other stakeholders to assume a leading role in tracking public expenditure in an effort to increase levels of transparency and accountability on public resources.
CCJP National Coordinator Boniface Chibwana said the mismanagement of K6.2 billion Covid-19 Management Funds should act as a wake-up call for the citizenry to develop interest in tracking public resources.
Chibwana made the remarks in Lilongwe on Thursday when he briefed stakeholders on the project the Commission is implementing in collaboration with Hivos. The project is being funded by the European Union (EU).
Titled Voices and Actions for Accountability in Malawi (VAAM), the project seeks to mobilize and increase citizen participation in public expenditure tracking.
Chibwana said a study the CCJP commissioned recently established that there has been a tremendous increase in abuse of public funds by government officials.
Apparently, CCJP in collaboration with Hivos implemented a K250 million project with funding from the European Union (EU) in November2020.
“So, this project will enhance citizen participation which includes monitoring development activities and overseeing how their officials are utilizing the funds meant for development purposes,” he said.
In his remarks, the Blantyre City Deputy Mayor Joseph Makwinja said the project marks a milestone in pushing for the realization of Malawi’s social and economic development aspirations.
Hence, Makwinja called upon citizens and government officials to work together to fight financial mismanagement, which is frustrating development at all levels of the society.
This is a wake-up call to Malawians as a whole, though overdue. When you come to think of the money that has gone to waste and unaccounted for, you wonder as to whether there is indeed a government structure in place. Nobody is prepared to act as a watchdog over the questionable over expenditure by the next door neighbour. If a person displays opulence characteristics, the onlooker’s next move is to devise a plan as to how they too could reap from where they didn’t sow, and so the vicious cycle continues.
In many instances, leading by examples pay dividends. A leader must show, act and live a ‘Fiscal Disciplined’ life-style. Those below them will tend to fear if their leader is setting good examples in everything. But if you just pretend by word of mouth and no actions to prove your directives, then thefty and misappropriation flood gates are let loose. As a leader, if you go about doing your daily chores with total disdain as if your economy is that of the US, others follow suit. In modern times where there is a lot of technological advancement, almost everything has been simplified. People are able to hold conferences spanning across all the 5 continents, each participant in their office. It now makes no sense when you see an office bearer in Malawi moving from one government house to the other in the name of launching or inaugurating an annual event and yet funds do not permit. Unfortunately, for that to be achieved, he goes about criss-crossing the width/length of the country with a battalion of his workers. Really, are we following the Fiscal Discipline at all as it were? You do that and a few hours down the line you jump onto a podium begging people to spend government resources wisely, that those who are not doing as is said will be imprisoned and asked to pay back, really? Excitement, inexperience, gluttonous, short-sightedness, adamant practices will lead us into a situation which will hurt every Malawian because of lack and negation of ownership of the land that belongs to us a one people.