Government agencies mandated to fight corruption have been admonished to tackle the canker from the grassroots, especially at the level of local governance.

Corruption has been perceived as the menace among the elite political class but it is a wrong notion and must be tackled from the local governance level where it has permeated.

Gospel Odame-Kentoe, Pastor in charge of Elim City, a Christian Fellowship Centre based in Sunyani in the Bono Region, made the admonition, in an interview on the sidelines of the December 31all night service on Friday, in Sunyani.

According to him, corruption had permeated all aspects of the society, from the office clerk to the hierarchy of governance even among the clergy adding that “you go to an office to process documents; your file can not be found until you drop something on the desk of the officer.

“We drive on our roads and there are many check points and we all know what happens, most people who engage in corrupt acts start it early in their careers and continue till they become topnotch in our society be it in polities or other professions.

“If care is not taken the country will collapse due to the level of corruption the country now faces which has become part of our societal norm,” Pastor Odame-Kentoe warned.

Quoting from Daniel 6 to buttress an assertion, he appealed to Ghanaians to insist on doing what was right to grow and develop the country and explained that it was only when people insisted on the right thing to be done that society could be enlightened for posterity to judge righteous people.

Pastor Odame-Kentoe advised politicians not to take those who had voted for them for granted but understand they were voted into office to serve their constituents and not their personal interest and was hopeful in the coming year Ghanaians would rise up against corruption which over the years contributed to the mess.

He bemoaned those in authority who were mandated to fight the menace were sitting on the fence and protecting their jobs, fearing they may lose them or be transferred elsewhere.

Pastor Odame-Kentoe urged Ghanaians not to make unrealistic demands on the government but give it the opportunity and chance to govern because some demands were putting pressure on it saying “the problems and challenges we find ourselves in today have been there for some time now and it will also take time to resolve them”.