UNIVERSITY OF GHANA

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BA/BSC SECOND SEMESTER COMMON ASSIGNMENT: 2023/2024
UGRC 210: ACADEMIC WRITING II (3 CREDITS)

1. The extracts below are from various sources. Employing the relevant reading
techniques taught in this course, carefully read these extracts, making quality notes, and
use the information to write a synthesis essay on how to combat corruption.
a. Your essay should be between 500 and 600 words and should be presented in
five (5) or six (6) paragraphs.
b. Provide a suitable title for the essay and ensure that your introduction contains
a clear thesis statement. Please underline the thesis statement.
c. Note that your essay must show how the viewpoints of the various authors relate
to one another, and you must use appropriate reporting or reference verbs, and
do in-text citation accordingly.

EXTRACT ONE

In times past, and in the present time, one approach to combatting corruption that has been
promoted worldwide is the strengthening of legislation, but corruption still persists in most
countries because of non-implementation or the absence of sustainability in the implementation
of this category of corruption-fighting interventions. Strengthening legislation includes but not
limited to the implementation of provisions of the UN Convention against Corruption
(UNCAC), asset declarations and making this publicly available, adopting and applying the
unexplained wealth order, promoting access to information by promulgating and upholding
freedom of information legislations, and last but certainly not least, encouraging reporting of
acts of corruption by implementing whistle-blower protection laws.
Source / Reference information: a serial article with the serial name as U4 Anti-Corruption
Resource Center. “A synthesis of latest thinking” is the subtitle of the article. The article can be
found on pages 1 to 67. It was written by Cecilie Wathne. The issue number of this serial is 3;
it was published in 2021. “Understanding corruption and how to curb it” is its title.

EXTRACT TWO

Corruption, generally speaking, can be defined as “abuse of power for private gain” that can
be classified as grand, petty, and political, depending on the amounts of money lost and the
sector where it occurs. Therefore, it is a phenomenon that compromises rule of law, weakens
public institutions and democracy, impacting negatively on productivity and economy. Indeed,
because of all these implications, it can be analyzed, stressing social, economic, political, or
legal perspectives. These features have allowed experts from different fields to investigate the
phenomenon, which does not exclusively concern conduct punishable by criminal law, but also
conduct that can be considered just an “expression of maladministration” in both the public
and private sectors. Corruption, [regardless of its form or kind], raises serious moral, economic
and political concerns, undermines good governance, hinders development and distorts
competition. It erodes justice, undermines human rights and is an obstacle to the relief of
poverty. It also increases the cost of doing business, introduces uncertainties into commercial
transactions, increases the cost of goods and services, diminishes the quality of products and
services, which may lead to loss of life and property, destroys trust in institutions and interferes
with the efficient operation of markets. Drawing on Rose Ackerman and Palifka, corrupt acts include
the following actions (among others):

• Payment of bribes (offered or extorted) to get public services or to evade taxes;

• Embezzlement and public service fraud, even if not involving bribes (for example, officials
may steal money from investment funds);
• Nepotism, or cronyism to benefit a particular family or group;
• Buying influence and conflicts of interest, when individuals take advantage of their position
in government to extract favours or personal benefits from a government decision. Kleptocracy
is the most extreme form of state capture, in which the state is managed to maximize the
personal wealth of its leaders.

Source / Reference information: a book chapter in a handbook edited by Roberta Bisi, &
Giovanna Palermo; it was published by IGI Global in Pennsylvania in the year 2020; the author
is Razzante Ranieri; “The fight against corruption” is the title of the book chapter which can
be found on pages 167 to 186 while “Handbook of research on trends and issues in crime
prevention, rehabilitation and victim support” is the title of the handbook.

EXTRACT THREE

One way to combat corruption is through popular involvement; it is by involving the people.
A publicity campaign to create greater awareness on the adverse effects of corruption and a
clear and unequivocal official pronouncement on the desirability to bring it under control would
be helpful. Ordinary citizens have a lot of first-hand experience with corruption; they are a
good source of information, and their help and cooperation should be solicited for the
successful launch of an anti-corruption drive. Once people are convinced that a sincere and
genuine effort to combat corruption is underway, they will respond and extend their full
cooperation in resolving the problem. Just a little opening up and providing opportunities for
them to express their views on the matter will bring forth an outpouring of information, ideas
and suggestions that will be beyond anyone’s imagination. Additionally, a responsible press to
gather, analyse, organize, present and disseminate information is considered vital to create
greater public awareness and to provide the momentum for undertaking reforms to overcome
corruption. Secretiveness has been a key factor that has enabled public officials and politicians
to get away with corruption. A responsible and an investigative press has played an important
role in many countries, both developed and developing, in exposing misconduct as well as in
serving as a watchdog to limit corruption and preventing it from getting out of hand. The press
has not always acted in a responsible manner, and like everything else in this world, it is not
perfect. Nevertheless, its power to limit misconduct and improper behaviour should not be
underestimated.

Source / Reference information: a journal article on pages 33 to 58 of the 7th volume of the
Asia-Pacific Development Journal. “Causes, consequences and cures” is the subtitle of the
article which was published in 2000. The issue number of the article is 2; “Corruption” is its
topic, and U Myint is the author.

EXTRACT FOUR

In Ghana, a number of initiatives have been made to combat corruption. The Ghana Integrity
Initiative (GII) is one of such initiatives. GII is a non-partisan, non-profit civil organisation
focused on addressing corruption, and was established in 1999. GII is the Ghana Chapter of
Transparency International. A few notable projects (GII 2018) to help curb corruption include:
organising sensitisation workshops, seminar, etc. on the causes, effects and solution to
corruption; engaging student bodies in schools and identifiable youth groups to talk about the
canker and possible remedies of corruption; advocating for the initiation and/or passage of
transparency-enhancing and anti-corruption legislations, such as Freedom of Information Bill,
Whistle-blower Law, Assets Declaration Law (Regulation); organising nationwide radio
programmes to educate the public on the importance of anti-corruption legislation to counter
corruption; holding meetings with key stakeholders in the water sector on transparency and
integrity in the water sector under another new GII project called Transparency and Integrity
in Service Delivery in Africa (TISDA) and organising ethics workshops titled “Zero Tolerance
Against Corruption Campaign: The Role of Religious Bodies in Ghana” for religious groups
throughout the country, among many others.

Source / Reference information: an e-book retrieved from

https://www.google.com/url?overview-of-corruption-and-anti-corruption-in-ghana-2018. It
was published by Transparency International at Berlin, Germany in the year 2018. “Overview
of corruption and anti-corruption in Ghana” is the title, and the author is Kaunain Rahman.

EXTRACT FIVE

A strategy to fight corruption must aim at sanitizing the system of governance since weak states
and institutions are on record as a major cause of corruption. The higher the incidence of
corruption, the more the strategy should focus on the broad underlying features of the
governance system. For example, one strategy is to build the rule of law and strengthen
institutions of accountability. The main issue is how weak states can bring about fundamental
changes of their system of governance in terms of control and sharing of power
(accountability), openness, public attitudes, citizen influence, and trust in public institutions.

Bringing about such change is no easy feat. It means challenging influential forces in society,
especially forces within the state that benefit from the corruptive practices. This is why
institutions most in need of anticorruption programs are the institutions least likely to initiate
such programs. It is easier, though, if "key champions" – persons who really want change –
become frustrated and are prepared to fight for that change. To make progress, there must be
pressure from below. Popular acceptance of corruption is a powerful ally of corruption. That
acceptance can be broken only if people are made aware of the societal costs that corruption
causes and of what can be feasibly done. But there is also a need for political commitment,
preferably non-partisan, and a leadership that exerts pressure from above to set a good example.
If the top is rotten, the bottom will also be rotten.

Source / Reference information: journal article published in 2005 with volume number 39
and subtitle as “The Misunderstood Role of Law”; the author is Claes Sandgren, and the page
numbers are from 717 to 731. “Combating Corruption” is the title and 3 is the issue number.
The International Lawyer is the name of the journal.