Integrity Key to Building Trust in Institutions, Says Former MP

Leaders of public institutions must embrace public service as a sacred duty, focusing on the public good, institutional strength, justice, and citizen welfare, urged Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah, a former Member of Parliament. Speaking at the Osahene Excellence Lecture at the University of Education, Winneba, he stressed that public officials should forgo personal gain and serve with unwavering integrity and accountability.

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Public office is temporary, but the consequences of leadership decisions can shape generations. That is why responsible leadership requires discipline, humility, transparency, and courage.

Dr. Assibey-Yeboah, who represented New Juabeng South for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), stated that trust in public institutions begins to crumble when their leaders lose touch with the core principles of public service. The lecture, themed 'Selfless Leadership and Public Service: Building Integrity, Trust, and Accountability,' was jointly organized by the Effutu Traditional Council and religious bodies. It also honored Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu.

"Public office is temporary, but the consequences of leadership decisions can shape generations," Dr. Assibey-Yeboah remarked, underscoring that responsible leadership demands discipline, humility, transparency, and courage. He noted that citizens seek honesty, fairness, and accountability from officials, along with a genuine understanding of their struggles and aspirations, rather than mere speeches.

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Public office is temporary, but the consequences of leadership decisions can shape generations.

The lecture also highlighted the significance of participatory democracy, asserting that it flourishes when citizens actively engage with institutions, demand accountability, contribute ideas, and participate responsibly in national development. Dr. Assibey-Yeboah further emphasized the role of tradition, culture, and community in bolstering democracy, warning that sustainable development is unattainable if a society abandons its identity, values, and communal responsibility. He advocated for modern development to build upon, rather than discard, the preserved wisdom and social structures of communities across generations.

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Citizens did not expect speeches from public officials, but honesty, fairness and accountability, adding that they also expected leadership that genuinely understood their struggles and aspirations.

Dr. Assibey-Yeboah commended the relationship between Mr. Afenyo-Markin and the people of Effutu as a reflection of the vital link between traditional leadership and public service, encouraging public servants to emulate this model. He reiterated the necessity of selfless leaders possessing integrity, cautioning that leadership without it loses credibility, which in turn erodes public confidence in institutions. Courageous leadership, he clarified, is principled and involves standing for what is right, even at personal or political cost. He described Mr. Afenyo-Markin's career as a testament to perseverance and professional achievement, urging the youth to adopt selfless and responsible leadership principles.

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Modern development must never require the abandonment of cultural identity. Rather, genuine development must build upon the values, wisdom, discipline and social structures that communities have preserved across generations.