By Daniel Agbesi Latsu
Poase-Cement (O/R), Dec. 9, GNA – The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has commemorated the 2025 International Anti-Corruption Day with students in selected schools in the Kadjebi District, renewing its call for stronger youth involvement in the national campaign against corruption.
At an engagement with students of Poase-Cement R.C. JHS and Poase-Cement D/A JHS, Madam Comfort Tsaku, Chairperson of the Kadjebi Local Accountability Network (LANet), delivered a speech on behalf of the Executive Secretary of GACC, Mrs Beauty Emefa Nartey.
She urged students to remain committed to the fight against corruption, describing it as a collective struggle essential to Ghana’s development, social justice and democratic growth.
Mrs Nartey noted that corruption continued to drain national resources, weaken state institutions, deepen inequality and erode public confidence in governance.
“Every cedi lost is a missed opportunity for better schools, improved healthcare, stronger infrastructure and decent jobs,” she said, adding that young people suffer the greatest impact when systems meant to protect their interests are compromised.
Speaking on the global theme for the 2025 International Anti-Corruption Day, “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity,” Mrs Nartey said the message reflected GACC’s long-standing focus on empowering young people with the values, knowledge and courage needed to uphold integrity.
She explained that nurturing a culture of accountability among the youth was crucial, as they represented the moral foundation on which Ghana’s future would be built.
Highlighting GACC’s efforts, she said that in 2024 the Coalition, in partnership with LANet, implemented youth-focused anti-corruption activities in 34 districts across 14 regions, reaching an estimated 50,000 young people through engagements in tertiary institutions, senior high schools, faith-based organisations, youth groups and community associations.
“These efforts were further enhanced through a targeted social media campaign, which broadened national engagement and stimulated meaningful public discussions on electoral integrity, vote-buying and election-related corruption,” she said.
She announced that in 2025, GACC was expanding its reach with similar activities across 87 districts in all 16 regions, aimed at deepening public awareness on the effects of corruption, strengthening whistleblowing culture and promoting responsible citizenship rooted in transparency and accountability.
She said GACC believed that empowering the youth went beyond providing information.
“It represents a strategic investment in Ghana’s long-term stability. When young people understand the dynamics of corruption and possess the skills to challenge it, they emerge as influential drivers of national transformation.”
She urged parents, teachers, religious leaders, the media, public institutions, civil society and community leaders to remain committed to guiding and supporting young people as they champion integrity and justice in their various spheres.
Mrs Nartey encouraged the students to resist, reject and report corrupt practices whenever they encounter them, emphasising that silence enables wrongdoing to thrive.
Also speaking at the event, Ms Emma Asilevi, Kadjebi LANet member, implored the learners to steer clear of corruption, highlighting how it drains national resources and deprives the poor and vulnerable.
In his presentation on “Manifestation of Corruption and why Corruption Matters,” Ms Asilevi identified bribery, fraud, nepotism, extortion, embezzlement, and favouritism as common forms of corruption.
She emphasised that corruption was a human rights issue that affected both lives and property, urging it to be nipped in the bud.
Mr Francis Agbozo, Headmaster of Poase-Cement R.C JHS, commended the GACC educational team for the message and promised to convey it to other stakeholders.
GNA
Edited by: Maxwell Awumah/Christian Akorlie