By Solomon Gumah
Nakpanduri (NE/R), July 23, GNA – A total of 1,741 students in the North East Region have been sensitised on anti-corruption as part of activities marking this year’s African Anti-Corruption Day.
The sensitisation exercise, organised by the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) in partnership with Aid for Peace, Rural Education and Development (APRED-GHANA), was held in the Bunkpurugu/Nakpanduri and Yunyoo/Nasuan Districts to promote integrity and strengthen the fight against corruption.
The engagements formed part of activities commemorating the 2026 African Anti-Corruption Day under the theme: “Scaling Up the Promotion of Integrity and Anti-Corruption Actions Across Africa.
The beneficiary schools were Jimbale Junior High School, Yunyoo Senior High School, Nakpanduri Senior High School, and Konchian-Gbaruk Junior High School.
The initiative sought to empower students to become ambassadors of integrity and active participants in the fight against corruption by equipping them with knowledge on ethical conduct, accountability and responsible citizenship.
Mrs Beauty Emefa Narteh, Executive Secretary of GACC, in a statement read on her behalf, said promoting integrity and combating corruption required the collective commitment of governments, institutions, communities and citizens, particularly young people.
She noted that this year’s commemoration was significant as GACC celebrated 25 years of championing transparency, accountability and integrity in Ghana through strategic partnerships and sustained public education.
Mrs Narteh said empowering young people remained central to the Coalition’s anti-corruption efforts, adding that through its Local Accountability Networks (LANets), GACC reached more than 23,000 students across 40 districts in all 16 regions last year through school sensitisation programmes.
She said the initiative had been expanded to 85 districts this year to provide more young people with opportunities to learn about integrity, participate in accountability discussions and become champions in the fight against corruption.
Mrs Narteh highlighted the Capture Youth Voices Open Forum, which provides a platform for young people to share their experiences and perspectives on corruption while encouraging practical actions to promote accountability in their communities.
She expressed appreciation to the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for supporting the 2026 African Anti-Corruption Day activities and called on stakeholders to renew their commitment to building a Ghana and Africa where integrity thrives and corruption has no place.
Mrs Narteh urged young people to embrace the campaign message, “Resist, Reject and Report Corruption,” stressing that they were not only the leaders of tomorrow but also champions of integrity today.
Mr Duut Yekinan Mathew, Executive Director of APRED-GHANA, reiterated the need for stronger public commitment to integrity, transparency and accountability.
He described corruption as one of the greatest threats to Ghana’s socio-economic development, saying it weakened public trust, undermined democratic governance and denied citizens access to quality education, healthcare, infrastructure, employment opportunities and sustainable development.
Mr Mathew said every cedi lost through corruption represented a missed opportunity for national development and urged the students not to remain silent in the face of wrongdoing but to uphold honesty, accountability and responsible citizenship.
The sensitisation focused on the significance of African Anti-Corruption Day, the importance of integrity in everyday life, and the various forms of corruption, including bribery, fraud, embezzlement, conflict of interest, nepotism, favouritism and extortion.
Participants were also educated on the Whistleblower Act, 2006 (Act 720), the Witness Protection Act, 2018 (Act 975), and the mandates of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, the Economic and Organised Crime Office, the Ghana Police Service and GACC in combating corruption.
The students actively participated in discussions, practical demonstrations and question-and-answer sessions, where they shared experiences of corruption in their communities and sought clarification on safe reporting mechanisms and the roles of anti-corruption institutions.
They also took the 3Rs Integrity Pledge, committing themselves to Resist, Reject and Report Corruption while promoting honesty, accountability and ethical leadership in their schools and communities.
Miss Gazariel Cynthia, a student of Nakpanduri Senior High School, said the programme had transformed her understanding of integrity and inspired her to become an advocate for ethical behaviour among her peers.
GNA
Edited by Eric K Amoh/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Writer: Solomon Gumah
Email: [email protected]