By Christine Naadu Lartey, GNA
Tema, Sept. 18, GNA – Mr Fidel N.A. Bortey, a Resource Person at the Tema Metropolitan Office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has urged citizens to actively participate in the fight against corruption by reporting suspected wrongdoing to the appropriate state institutions.
Mr Bortey said protecting public resources and community well-being required citizens to respect the rule of law and speak up against illegal activities, including trade malpractices and official misconduct.
He made the call during a community civic engagement programme organised by the NCCE Tema Metropolitan Office on the theme: “Civic Engagement on the Rule of Law and the Fight against Corruption.”
Mr Bortey urged citizens who encountered infractions to use established legal mechanisms, including the Whistleblower Act, to report activities that could jeopardise public interest.
He identified the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Ghana Police Service, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Attorney-General’s Office and Auditor-General’s Office among institutions through which citizens could report suspected corrupt practices.
He also encouraged the public to engage local administrative structures, including Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Public Relations and Complaints Committee (PRCC) of the District Assembly, when seeking redress for grievances.
Mr Bortey said the financial and material resources lost to corruption annually were significant and urged citizens to contribute to efforts to protect public resources.
He stressed that the law provided protection for persons who reported wrongdoing in good faith and encouraged the public to make use of the available mechanisms rather than resorting to informal means.
During an interactive session, participants cited trade deception, contract inflation, execution of substandard public works and misuse of public funds as examples of practices they considered forms of corruption.
Mr Bortey said combating corruption required a collective change in mindset and urged citizens to allow established legal processes to address suspected wrongdoing.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Christine Naadu Lartey, GNA