By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, July 16, GNA – Pupils of two Junior High Schools (JHS) in the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region have been sensitised on the fight against corruption and the need to uphold integrity in all dealings.
They were also encouraged to actively participate in discussions on corruption and report acts of corruption they became aware of to help in the fight against corruption.
The beneficiary schools were the Gbambaya T.I. Ahmadiyya JHS and Ridge JHS.
Mr Hafiz Hudu, Media and Communications Officer, RUWA Ghana, who sensitised the pupils, said corruption was negatively impacting the development of the country.
The sensitisation programmes were organised by the Local Accountability Network (LANet‑Tamale) with the RUWA Ghana serving as the focal organisation and funded by the Ghana Anti‑Corruption Coalition (GACC) with support from the Flora and Hewlett Foundation.
They formed part of activities to commemorate this year’s African Union Anti‑Corruption Day.
The African Union Anti‑Corruption Day is commemorated on July 11 every year, and this year’s commemoration was on the theme: “Scaling up the Promotion of Integrity and Anti‑Corruption Actions Across Africa.”
Mr Hudu touched on the Whistleblower Act and the Witness Protection Act, and the involvement of young people was critical to the fight against corruption in the country.
He encouraged them to report acts of corruption through the toll-free lines 0800 100 250 (for MTN and Airtel-Togo users) and 0800 100 25 (for Telecel users).
He shared the message of Madam Beauty Nartey, the Executive Secretary of GACC, which underscored the shared responsibility of governments, institutions, communities, citizens and especially young people in promoting integrity and combating corruption.
A key feature of the sensitisation was the Capture Youth Voices Open Forum, which provided young people with the opportunity to share their experiences on corruption and to propose ideas for strengthening accountability.
Some of the students shared their thoughts on the sensitization saying they learnt to be honest, speak up against wrongdoing and report corruption.
Mr Alhassan Mohammed, the Headmaster of Gbambaya T.I. Ahmadiyya JHS, thanked the partners for organising the event and said the school would ensure that pupils fully understood the lessons and applied them in their homes and communities.
GNA
Edited by Eric K Amoh/Benjamin Mensah
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