Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has cautioned that vote-buying is one of the greatest threats to Ghana’s democracy, warning that the practice weakens democratic institutions and ultimately leaves the very people who sell their votes worse off.
Speaking at the launch of the National Integrity Awards Scheme, the Chief Justice said electoral success should never come at the expense of integrity, even if honest politicians sometimes lose elections.
“The honest politician may lose an election, but vote-buying weakens democracy and ultimately impoverishes the very people whose votes we purchased,” he said.
He added that while individuals may bear the immediate cost of acting with integrity, corruption imposes a far greater burden on society as a whole.
“The cost of integrity is often paid by the individual; the cost of corruption is paid by all of us. That is why integrity remains indispensable. No nation has ever succeeded by rewarding dishonesty indefinitely,” Justice Baffoe-Bonnie stated.
The Chief Justice also stressed that public trust remains the foundation of every strong institution, warning that corruption steadily erodes confidence in governance, public service and the justice system.
According to him, once trust is lost, institutions begin to weaken, agreements lose their value, and public confidence in justice is undermined.
“Sooner or later, every society discovers that trust is its greatest currency. Once trust disappears, institutions begin to weaken, contracts lose meaning, public confidence erodes, justice itself becomes suspect. As Chief Justice, I know that the judiciary depends on one thing above all else: not buildings, not budgets, not even judgments; it depends on public confidence,” he said.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie described the National Integrity Awards Scheme as a timely initiative that will encourage ethical leadership, promote accountability and inspire integrity across both the public and private sectors.
