By Dennis Peprah
Odomase, July 25, GNA – Some schoolchildren in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono Region have called on African governments to demonstrate greater commitment to the fight against corruption on the continent.
“We know and understand that corruption bleaks our future,” one of the pupils said at a sensitisation forum organised to commemorate the 2026 African Union Anti-Corruption Day, observed annually on July 11.
The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), in collaboration with the Sunyani Local Accountability Network, organised the forum at Odomase, which was attended by about 200 pupils and students.
After participating in discussions on the consequences of corruption, the schoolchildren said successfully combating the menace would improve educational and health infrastructure, as well as youth development.
The forum sought to educate children on the dangers of corruption and the important role young people could play in promoting integrity, accountability and responsible citizenship.
During an open forum, some of the schoolchildren said corruption negatively affected their education and future prospects.
They called on the Government to ensure that funds allocated for school infrastructure development were used for their intended purpose to provide a conducive environment for effective teaching and learning.
“We want our leaders to be honest and use the money to build schools, provide books and create opportunities for children,” one of the students said.
Another pupil added: “Corruption is making life difficult for many families.”
Earlier, Mr Raphael Ahenu, a facilitator and anti-corruption activist, urged the schoolchildren to cultivate the values of honesty, discipline and transparency from an early age.
He told them that examination malpractice was also a form of corruption and advised them against engaging in such practices.
“Corruption does not begin only when someone becomes a politician or a public official. It starts with small dishonest acts, including cheating in examinations,” Mr Ahenu said.
“If you cheat in school, you are training yourself to become dishonest in future,” he added, encouraging the children to become ambassadors of integrity in their schools and communities.
He advised them to reject cheating, bribery, stealing and other unethical practices.
Mr Ahenu also called on teachers and families to support the moral development of children and help them appreciate the long-term consequences of corruption on national development.
He said involving children in anti-corruption education remained essential to building a generation that valued accountability, integrity and good governance.
Mr Ahenu observed that corruption continued to impede Africa’s development, explaining that corrupt officials and governments often diverted resources meant for education, health, agriculture, and job creation.
He called on government institutions, civil society organisations, traditional authorities and the media to work together to strengthen anti-corruption education and promote a culture of integrity across the country.
The sensitisation forum also featured interactive discussions, question-and-answer sessions and integrity-themed activities, providing the pupils with the opportunity to share their views on how corruption affected their daily lives and how it could be addressed.
At the end of the programme, the schoolchildren pledged to uphold honesty, avoid examination malpractice and speak out against corruption whenever they encountered whenever they encountered the menace.
GNA
Edited by Audrey Dekalu
Reporter: Dennis Peprah
Email: [email protected]