GRAHAM Power, the South African known equally for his entrepreneurism and Christianity told local business leaders that getting rid of corruption would offer a fatal blow to poverty.

He called on Jamaican business leaders to join his global anti-corruption campaign.

“I believe we will not rid our cities, our nations, our continents of systemic poverty unless we rid it of systemic corruption. We know as business people the type of temptations we are put under daily,” he told patrons at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston on Friday.

Power was an invited guest of Wycliffe Bible Translators Caribbean to promote his Unashamedly Ethical Campaign. He will address a number of functions this weekend.

His campaign promotes ethics by forming local Unashamedly Ethical communitties networks across the globe. It creates a directory of signatories of organisations and individuals pledging to resist corruption. An ombudsman and the public hold the signatories accountable.

Graham founded the campaign in 2006 and launched the drive in 2010. He has described corruption as a cancer that threatens civilisation.

At 43, Power became a Christian, arguing that it led him to conduct his business on ethical principles. It ultimately led him to exit a private club which on the surface colluded for government contracts.

“My life was turned upside down. I said sorry, we are no longer able to be part of this club. It was probably the most difficult decision I ever had to make,” he told his audience at the Terra Nova hotel to resounding applause.

Powers described the decision as a test of faith as it could have led to his construction conglomerate’s demise.

“We asked ourselves the question: Will we survive? Because this was where we made our money,” he said.

However, the Power Group which he serves as executive chairman recovered and continued winning contracts.

In 2013, Graham felt the need to defend his company’s integrity in relation to tenders.

“I have noted recent media reports questioning my integrity and suggesting an inconsistency between my strong Christian faith and activities, and my position in the construction industry, with concern,” stated the statement on its website two years ago. “I wish to set the record straight. 1) Power Construction and I have taken the lead in cleaning up the practices of the construction industry. 2) It has long been the official policy of the group that we should not engage in tender-rigging or any other type of cartel activity. 3) We have engaged with the Competition Commission regarding one incident at Power Construction which took place in May 2006 without my knowledge, and from which we made no financial gain. We deeply regret this incident and have made a full disclosure to the authorities about it. Our legal advice is that this incident does not fall within the scope of anti-competitive behaviour. As a result of that legal advice we have declined the offer of a settlement with the authorities.”