By Mohammed Balu, GNA
Tumu, (UW/R), Nov. 06, GNA – Civil society organisations (CSOs) in the Sissala East Municipality have received a day’s training on the role of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in the fight against corruption.
The training formed part of a nationwide initiative aimed at strengthening citizens’ understanding of anti-corruption laws and mechanisms in Ghana.
Speaking at the event at Tumu, Mr Samuel Harrison Kujo, a Programmes Officer with the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), explained that the project sought to empower citizens to recognise and report corruption and corruption-related practices.
He explained: “Corruption is not a one-man’s fight. Our goal is to build citizens’ capacity to identify corruption and speak out against it.
“We also want to ensure that Ghanaians understand the existing anti-corruption institutions, especially the Office of the Special Prosecutor.”
Mr Kujo added that the initiative was being implemented in 60 districts across all 16 regions of Ghana to deepen citizens’ participation in governance and accountability.
The training in Sissala East brought together about 30 participants drawn from various sectors, including the media, local government institutions, traditional authorities, and community-based organisations.
The participants were taken through the functions of the OSP, which include investigating and prosecuting corruption cases, recovering proceeds of corruption, and implementing preventive measures.
Mr Kujo encouraged citizens, including those in remote communities, to make use of the available corruption reporting channels to expose corruption and corruption-related acts.
He said corruption and corruption-related acts could be reported through the OSP’s toll-free line, 0800 000 700, or anonymously via the OSP’s official website.
The participants were also informed about other avenues, such as the Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC), which provided citizens with guidance on how to report and follow up on corruption cases.
Mr Kujo cautioned the participants against accepting gifts or favours that could compromise their integrity, stressing that there was often a thin line between appreciation and bribery.
“Sometimes people give gifts not out of gratitude, but to influence future decisions. We encourage everyone to be careful, when in doubt, reject or declare the gift publicly”, he indicated.
Mr Mashood Aziz Rauf, the Executive Director of RUWA Ghana, who facilitated the session, indicated that the project formed part of the anti-corruption coalition initiative being implemented in Nadowli, Sissala East, Sissala West and Lambussie Districts in the Upper West Region.
“Corruption is endemic in this country, and we have been talking about all this while, and people are not aware of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, which was established in 2018,” Mr Mashood observed.
He encouraged the participants to share the knowledge with their colleagues, friends, and families so that people would be aware of the OSP’s work and how it could help reduce corruption in the country.
The session, organised under the “Strengthening the Rule of Law and the Fight Against Corruption” project, was facilitated by the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) with support from the European Union, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Benjamin Mensah