By Esther Mateyko Kumah/ Amanda Amankwaa Boachie Danquah
Accra, Aug. 12, GNA – The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has urged student and youth leaders to champion transparency and accountability to help fight corruption.
Mr Mawuli Agbenu, Greater Accra Regional Director of the NCCE, said unchecked corruption was depriving communities of essential infrastructure and services, including water, electricity and roads.
He made the call at a public forum on “Civic Engagement on the Rule of Law and the Fight Against Corruption”, organised by the NCCE as part of a nationwide series of engagements.
Mr Agbenu said public discourse in the past centred on the ideals of “probity and accountability”, dating back to the revolutionary era, but noted that integrity had gradually faded from public conversations.
He said the shift had left accountability as the dominant focus of governance discussions, stressing the need to revive values that promoted integrity and responsible citizenship.
Mr Agbenu expressed concern about the changing scale of corruption in the country, recalling historical instances in which individuals faced severe consequences for offences involving relatively small amounts of money.
He contrasted those cases with contemporary corruption scandals involving millions of dollars, which, he said, appeared to attract comparatively limited accountability.
The forum also featured presentations on leadership, ethical conduct and Ghana’s legal framework for accountability.
Mr John Ato Breboh, Municipal Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for La Nkwantanang, raised concerns about the effectiveness of the country’s anti-corruption framework, particularly the implementation of the Whistleblower Act.
He said CHRAJ’s constitutional mandate was established under Chapter 18, Article 216 of the 1992 Constitution, while Article 218 and the Commission’s enabling Act of 1993 provided its anti-corruption powers.
Mr Breboh said CHRAJ operated alongside other anti-corruption institutions, including the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
He said CHRAJ’s mandate included investigating corruption, conflict of interest, abuse of office, misuse of public funds and complaints under the Whistleblower Act.
Mr Breboh said he was among the strong supporters of the Whistleblower Act when it was passed by Parliament but questioned whether the protections provided under the law were being effectively enforced.
He also raised concerns about the relationship between the Attorney-General’s Office and the Office of the Special Prosecutor regarding prosecutorial authority, citing Article 88 of the Constitution, which designates the Attorney-General as the State’s principal legal adviser and chief prosecutor.
Mr Robert Nii Laryea Armah Adjei, Regional Director of the National Service Secretariat (NSS), urged the youth to recognise that leadership was not necessarily dependent on occupying formal positions.
He said ethical leadership involved making responsible decisions and upholding moral principles that promoted public trust and strengthened institutions.
Mr Armah Adjei said good governance was concerned with how decisions were made and implemented and helped to build trust between citizens and institutions.
“Good governance is concerned with how decisions are made. Good governance builds trust between citizens and institutions,” he stated.
Mr Armah Adjei said individuals, particularly the youth, needed strong moral principles to guide their actions and decisions.
He said the values and training acquired during Senior High School could provide a foundation for developing ethical leadership qualities.
Mr Armah Adjei urged the youth to recognise that they would, at some point, be held accountable for the decisions they made and the positions they occupied.
He encouraged them to uphold honesty and accountability in their daily activities and leadership roles.
“Honesty, if it is black, it should be black. That is where we are being honest. Accountability, whatever we do, we have to know that there is a day of reckoning,” he said.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey