By Yussif Ibraim
Kumasi, Oct. 4, GNA – The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has equipped 50 women in the Oforikrom Municipality with knowledge to identify, resist and report acts of corruption.
The engagement formed part of the Commission’s “Civic Engagements on the Rule of Law and the Fight Against Corruption” project, aimed at strengthening women’s understanding and application of the principles of the Rule of Law, accountability and civic responsibility.
The project is being implemented under the Participation, Accountability and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) programme, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
It is co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), with GIZ and the Ministry of Finance as implementing partners.
Ms Rosina Owoo, Oforikrom Municipal Director of the NCCE, led the participants to reflect on lessons from an earlier engagement and share experiences on how they had applied the knowledge acquired in their communities.
The follow-up engagement was designed to reinforce lessons from the initial campaign and encourage the women to become advocates for transparency, accountability and the Rule of Law within their families, associations and communities.
Some participants shared experiences of how the first engagement had empowered them to take action on issues they previously found difficult to address.
Madam Paulina Adjei, a trader and resident of Oforikrom, said the knowledge acquired had empowered her to pursue the distribution of her late husband’s property after initially lacking the confidence and information to follow up on the matter.
Another participant, Madam Justina, a nurse at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, said she had gained knowledge on where and how to report suspected acts of corruption.
Other participants recounted how the knowledge acquired on corruption had motivated them to take action against individuals who had turned spaces in their neighbourhoods into unauthorised dumping sites.
They also discussed practical ways of identifying and responding to corruption, citing lack of transparency and accountability, unexplained lifestyles, and living beyond one’s means as some of the warning signs.
Mr Alex Quainoo, Chief Investigator of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and Acting Ashanti Regional Director, led an interactive session on the Whistleblower Act, 2006 (Act 720), and mechanisms for reporting corruption.
He said the law provided an important avenue for citizens to report suspected acts of corruption and assured potential whistleblowers that CHRAJ was ready to assist by investigating complaints and taking appropriate action.
Mr Quainoo urged the women not to remain silent on corrupt practices, saying citizens had a moral, ethical and legal responsibility to contribute to the development of the country.
GNA
Edited by Bertha Badu-Agyei/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Yussif Ibrahim