Tema, May 29, GNA – Ms. Fatimata Mahami, Tema Regional Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) says the Commission is expanding its offices across the country to ensure protection of human rights for all Ghanaians.
The expansion is also geared towards promoting administrative justice and securing improvement in the public sector service delivery in the country, as well as reducing the cost of complainants travelling long distances to report cases.
Ms. Mahami was speaking at the 13th edition of the Stakeholders Engagement and Workers Appreciation Day Seminar of the Tema Regional Office of the Ghana News Agency.
The GNA Tema Stakeholder Engagement is a platform rolled out for state and non-state actors to address national issues and serves as a motivational mechanism to recognize the editorial contribution of reporters toward national development in general and the growth and promotion of the Tema GNA as the industrial news hub.
The engagement also saw Dr. Stephen Ayisi-Addo, Programme Manager, the National AIDS/STI Control Programme who spoke on the topic: “Ghana’s HIV strategies in line with the global health strategy for HIV, STI, and Viral Hepatitis; An integrated approach to prevention”.
Ms. Mahami, presenting a paper on the topic; “The fight against corruption in Ghana, a mirage or reality; the Perspective of CHRAJ,” said that the new sub-metro which had been created in the Greater Accra Region and another part of the country was also receiving CHRAJ offices.
“With the new regions, some district officers were sent to reinforce staff strength there, we are doing new recruitment to fit in, even the new sub-metros in Greater Accra, they have posted some staffs from head office there so now we are spreading, so that people can access our services,” she said.
The Tema Director of CHRAJ noted that the Commission had an online portal where people lodge complaints including districts without offices and urged Ghanaians especially stigmatized victims to log onto the site and lodge their complaints.
Ms. Mahami said the cases which were received online were followed up and given equal attention whether it is to address torture, inhuman and degrading treatment meted out against vulnerable members of the society, especially women and children
“Go to the website and lodge a complaint, put your details there, and a local officer will contact the person for the commencement of the necessary action,” she said.
She urged the public to report corruption and inhuman activities to the Commission to enhance the right of every Ghanaian citizen.
Mr. Francis Ameyibor, the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Manager in welcoming remarks tasked the media to continue to lead strong advocacy that will make the grounds infertile for corruption to thrive.
He said the fight against corruption will bear no fruit without the active participation of the media in raising awareness of its dangers, both in the public and private sectors and enlightening the citizenry of their duty to combat it.
“If the media helps in the fight against endemic corruption and sustains it, the huge resources lost to it could be redirected into productive ventures to stimulate economic growth and prosperity for the country,” he said.
Mr. Ameyibor also appealed to strategic stakeholders in the anti-corruption space to empower the media to effectively play their watchdog roles, and “support the Journalists through periodic training to sharpen their skills on principles and techniques of investigating and reporting”.
GNA