By Benjamin Akoto
Odomase (Bono), Sept. 5, GNA – Madam Margaret Abrafi Appiah, the Sunyani West Municipal Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has urged the youth to take the frontline role in the fight against corruption within their respective communities.
She challenged them to lead anti-corruption initiatives and help build a corruption-free society that would promote transparency and accountability for accelerated national development.
“The youth play a pivotal role in promoting good governance by participating in community and town hall meetings, as well as local government sessions,” Madam Appiah stated, adding that “through these platforms, they can demand clarity on how public resources are allocated and utilized.”
She gave the advice when she addressed out-of-school youth groups during an educational campaign on corruption held at Odomase.
The NCCE organised the programme as part of the implementation of the “Civic Engagement on the Rule of Law and the Fight against Corruption” project, being executed in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, and co-funded by the European Union.
The two-year project aims to enlighten the youth on the rule of law, civic rights, legal frameworks, and the Whistleblower Act, to empower them to promote transparency and accountability.
Madam Appiah further urged the youth to form or join youth-led watchdog groups to monitor the execution of public projects, budget utilization, and the quality-of-service delivery in education, healthcare, and infrastructure development.
She also advised them to use new media platforms, information centres, and community radio discussions to sensitize their peers on the harmful effects of corruption.
She emphasized that the fight against corruption required effective collaboration between civil society, anti-corruption agencies, and traditional leaders. She therefore encouraged the youth to leverage the Whistleblower Act and report alleged instances of corruption, abuse of power, and misuse of public resources.
Hajia Claudia Rukaya, the Sunyani West Municipal Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), noted that the Whistleblower Act remained a powerful tool in combating breaches of public trust and reinforcing ethical codes.
She called for intensified public education on the Act to empower citizens to contribute meaningfully to the national anti-corruption drive.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah/Audrey Dekalu