By Dennis Peprah
Sunyani, (Bono), March 21, GNA – Professor Sylvana Rudith King, Development Planner and Policy Analyst has called on professionals in the nation’s urban planning sector to be resolute, and adhere to high integrity towards fighting corruption in the space.
She said fighting corruption in the urban planning sector required a multi-disciplinary and multi-level approach and advised urban planners and stakeholders to follow ethical standards and values to bring the growing menace under control.
Prof King, also a Senior Researcher at the Department of the Centre for Settlement Studies (CSS) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) made the call when facilitating a workshop on corruption and urban planning in Sunyani.
The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the local chapter of Transparency International, a global movement working to end injustice of corruption organised the day’s workshop, attended by urban planners, lecturers, and civil society organisations.
Prof King took the participants through forms of corruption in urban planning, factors fuelling corruption in African cities, role of professional ethics in urban planning and common anti-corruption approaches.
She enlightened them on tackling corruption as urban planners, general introduction to moral reasoning, understanding moral (dis) engagement and tactics and strategies for addressing urban corruption.
Prof King reminded the professionals that corruption remained the bane of holistic development, urging them to be also mindful of cultural practices too in the course of their duties.
Earlier, Mr Michael H Okai, the Project Coordinator at the GII, advised the urban planning professional and Ghanaians in general to study and be acquainted with the content of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP).
The NACAP document is the nation’s strategic response to the fight against corruption.
Mr Okai said studying the document containing stringent measures would empower everybody enough and to contribute to the fight against corruption and called for effective collaboration between the civil community and stakeholders in fighting corruption in urban planning.
He expressed worry that corruption in Africa’s land sector remained a major barrier to economic development, social equity and environmental sustainability.
GNA
DEN/GRB