Ghana's Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo, has issued a challenge to engineers to prioritize ethical principles in their work to prevent the nation from losing money on infrastructure development.

Although engineers had played a significant role in fostering excellence and moral behavior, she pointed out that concerns had been raised regarding the enormous amounts of money the nation loses when large government projects are built.

“It has been acknowledged that discussions on values and ethics are relevant within the context of how Ghana leaks so much money from the way infrastructural development is done.

“Issues such as corruption, safety concerns, and adherence to code of conduct have always docked the pristine nobility of your profession,” the Chief Justice noted.

She made this statement at the Ghana Institution of Engineers' (GhIE) 9th Annual Ethics and Leadership Lecture, which was held in Accra.

The lecture was on the theme: “Improving national values, professional practice, and engineering ethics”.

Engineers design budgets for projects, plan improvements to already-existing infrastructure or build new ones, and analyze and solve problems like transportation, water leaks, and power outages.

Speaking on their importance in national development, Justice Torkornoo said: “Engineers shape our infrastructure, propel technological advancement, and drive innovation, which is pivotal to the progress and prosperity of the nation.”

She noted that executing such a role required adherence to high ethical values, saying, “Without an ethical anchor, the economy flails or breaks in the hands of its infrastructure developers.”

Engineers design budgets for projects, plan improvements to already-existing infrastructure or build new ones, and analyze and solve problems like transportation, water leaks, and power outages.

“The danger to national survival cannot be overestimated in this cacophony. There’s a pressing imperative to my mind to restore, at least, an overview of national values and to recognise that national good is greater than individual grasp, and to make ethics, our lone star,” the Chief Justice said.

Because of this, she urged GhIE to start a national dialogue on ethics, which she claimed was essential for people's wellbeing.

The president of the Ghana Institution of Engineering, Mr. Kwabena Bempong, emphasized the importance of moral behavior as well as the advancement of the country's infrastructure and economy.

“Any lack of ethical behaviour on our part, will have disastrous trust, safety, financial and economic implications on our beloved country, and our professional reputation will thus be irredeemably damaged,” he said.

“It is, therefore, important that as professionals, we constantly remind ourselves of our moral duty and calling to strive for excellence in every aspect of our work and be aware of the need to be ethical,” he encouraged.

To ensure the ethical conduct of engineers, Mr. Bempong has emphasized that the Institution has published a code of ethics, which includes the Engineer's Oath, as a guiding framework for their professional practice. Additionally, an annual ethics and leadership lecture is held to reinforce these principles.

A study conducted in Ghana from 2014 to 2017 highlighted a significant issue: the country incurs annual losses of up to $25 million due to unfinished projects. This sum is equivalent to the construction of approximately 667 three-unit classroom blocks each year, capable of accommodating around 70,000 students.

Conducted by Dr. Martin Williams, an Associate Professor in Public Administration at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, in collaboration with the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and the Local Government Service Secretariat (LGSS), the study examined approximately 14,000 projects funded by various sources, including the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), Internally Generated Funds, and central government funding.