By Opesika Tetteh Puplampu
Bedeku-Ada, July 11, GNA — The Ada Local Accountability Network (LaNet) has educated students of Bedeku Technical and Vocational Institute in the Ada East District on the need to join the fight against corruption in Ghana.
The initiative forms part of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition’s (GACC) programmes through LaNet to mark Ghana’s 2024 African Union Anti-Corruption Day.
Madam Betty Sackey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ayongo Foundation and Coordinator for Ada LaNet, urged the students to be interested in how public funds were spent by the government, saying that this would help them raise any corruption issues that they might uncover.
Madam Sackey stressed the need for the youth to be active citizens by reporting corrupt activities to the appropriate authorities and avoiding engaging in corrupt practices themselves.
Addressing the concerns of the students about reporting corruption, she advised them first to approach opinion leaders in their communities when they want to report corrupt acts.
Madam Faustina Blewusi, the Ada East District Director of the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE), urged the students to serve as whistle-blowers for the country’s development by adopting the government’s “See something, Say something” mantra.
She dismissed the negative perceptions about the Ghana Police Service, saying, “In every society, organisation, or group, there are people who engage in negative acts, and so we cannot say that all policemen are the same because we saw one or a few taking bribes.”
She emphasised that the youth should not allow themselves to be used by politicians for violent activities, as the elections are about a ballot rather than a battle.
Madam Beauty Emefa Narteh, the Executive Secretary of the GACC, urged the students and the youth to refrain from electoral malpractices that would call for legal action against them, as they were the potential leaders to steer the helm of affairs in the future.
Madam Nartey stated that the youth must be wary of their actions during the general elections, noting that “knowing that you are a minor and still going ahead to register to vote is an electoral offence, and the laws will deal with anyone caught; you can be jailed between five and 10 years if you commit an electoral offence.”
She further called for the continuous sensitization of the youth on the sanctions for electoral offences to deter them from being used by politicians for their parochial interests.
She said, “Our youth must be educated to know the implications of under-age registration, under-age voting, and other electoral crimes and offences so that they can serve as peer educators to their colleagues; this education must be channelled to first-time voters to empower them on how to make informed decisions and choices so they are not manipulated by politicians.”
She indicated that with such empowerment, they would know what questions to ask their parliamentary and presidential candidates to guide their voting decisions and choices.
The GACC Executive Secretary called on the Electoral Commission to consider an amnesty for registered minors to remove their names from the voter register to protect the integrity of the register and the elections.
Master David Lawerh Kwame and Master Ebenezer Pobi, student participants, expressed their joy at the lessons they have received from the sensitization programme.
GNA