By Joseph Agrace Wiyorbie
Lambussie, (UW/R), Aug. 29, (GNA) – The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has engaged youth groups and other stakeholders in an anti-corruption campaign in the Lambussie District in efforts to help fight corruption.
The initiative, implemented by the NCCE in partnership with Gesellschaft Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and co-funded by the European Union (EU), aims to empower young people with practical knowledge on the Rule of Law, Civic Rights, and legal frameworks such as the Whistleblower Act.
Participants were educated on their role in promoting transparency and accountability in the district and encouraged to speak out against wrongdoing without fear of retaliation.
The engagement brought together 50 participants, including youth groups, heads of departments, traditional leaders, hairdressers, dressmakers, traders, and others.
The project formed part of NCCE’s planned activities dubbed: “Strengthen the Rule of Law and Fight Against Corruption in Ghana,” and its impacts in the society, were in five district in the Upper West Region.
The districts included Lambussie, Nandom, Nadowli-Kaleo, Sissala East and Sissala West.
Mr Taalar Amatus, the Lambussie District NCCE officer-in-charge, called on the youth to unite in the fight against corruption, emphasizing its impact on everyone.
Speaking at the “Civic Engagement on the Rule of Law and the Fight Against Corruption, building capacity and sensitization programme for the youth groups in the Lambussie District”, he labelled corruption as the biggest canker for Ghana’s democracy and said collective action was needed to address the problem.
He emphasized that the fight against corruption in Ghana would not end anytime soon if pragmatic action was not taken by citizens to speak up publicly against issues relating to corruption.
He called on the youth to join the fight against corruption, stressing the need for them to be bold to expose corrupt practices, be it at the workplace or in their community.
“Fighting corruption as a biggest canker in Ghana was not something that could be left to any single institution or individual, it should be all inclusive,” he said.
Mr Taalar highlighted the dangers of corruption and its manifestation, including bribery, nepotism, fraud, extortion, embezzlement, abuse of power and conflict of interest.
Mr Abakisi Lawrence Akangagnang, the Lambussie District Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), called on the youth to become agents of change by reporting corrupt practices for investigation and accountability.
He said this would be the way to ensure that resources meant to transform the lives of the people in the district were not put into individual pockets.
He stressed that failing to speak up against corruption allowed the practice to rob the country of its scarce resources.
Mr Amish Basing, the Public Relation Officer of the Ghana Education Service (GES), emphasized that corruption in Ghana permeated almost every aspect of the Ghanaian society and it would only take bold citizens to fight it.
“If we as youth lead by reporting any act of corruption, it emboldens a new anti-corruption movement, but sadly, we have collectively failed to minimize corruption,” he said.
He noted that Ghana faced a bleak future as far as corruption was concerned and if conscious efforts were not made to instil into the youth values that abhor corruption it cannot be fought.
“Corruption cannot be fought without tackling it from where it is emanating from”, he emphasized.
He mentioned proper orientation as well as proper training of children to help prevent corruption practices in Ghana.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Christian Akorlie