Mr. Samuel Harrison-Cudjoe, the Programmes Manager of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), has tasked Ghanaian youth to personalise the impact of corruption and help fight against it.
Mr. Harrison-Cudjoe noted that the coalition’s focus was to help the youth understand the impact of corruption and how it affects them personally, as well as get them involved in the anti-corruption drive.
He revealed that by involving the youth in the drive, the coalition also aimed at popularising the African Union Anti-Corruption Group that was formed to fight corruption in Africa.
The 2023 AU Anti-Corruption Day slated for July 11th is on the theme: ‘Celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Adoption of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption: Achievements and Challenges.’
Mr Harrison-Cudjoe, together with Mrs. Beauty Emefa Narteh, GACC Executive Secretary, and Ms. Pamela Laourou, Communication Assistant, stated as part of the Ghana News Agency Initiative, ‘Is the fight against corruption a mirage or reality?’
He said that as part of the measures to celebrate the event, GACC has developed a project on the theme: ‘Empowering Ghanaian Youth: GACC Commitment on AU Anti-Corruption Day’ to gear towards creating informed and active citizens who would contribute to a corruption-free future for Ghana
He added that the coalition was targeting the young ones in the basic and senior high schools to have the knowledge of fighting corruption in the country.
He again explained that because the youth are the most key when it comes to transformation, the GACC’s focus is to get them involved.
He said, ‘We want to train a generation that will come to appreciate the fight against corruption and recognise corruption when they see it.’
Mrs. Narteh also added that Ghanaians needed to recognise corruption and fight against it.
She stated that there were some avenues where one could report corruption practices or incidents of corruption, but it must be reported in good faith.
She noted that once the youth recognised corruption and internalised its effect on them, they would be ready to fight against it.
Mrs. Narteh added that the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) are all avenues where
corruption incidents could be reported, stating that one can report to the OSP through their website or social media platforms.
She disclosed that the Whistleblower Act (2006) protected individuals who report corrupt incidents and implied that they need to report not because they hate the person involved but because they are bothered by his or her illegal activity.
She stated that it was important for the youth to be able to recognise corruption, be conscious of it, understand it, and know the steps involved in reporting corruption in the country.
She stressed that the coalition’s focus was to sensitise and create awareness of corruption and get everyone involved in fighting it.
‘Capacity building cannot be done in a few seconds of meeting the youth, but we want to do more sensitization and awareness creation because people need to identify corruption and wrongdoing in the country,’ she said.
Mr Francis Ameyibor, Tema Regional Manager of the Ghana News Agency has tasked the media to lead a strong advocacy against corruption.
He said if the media helped and sustained the fight against endemic corruption, the huge resources lost to it could be redirected into productive ventures to stimulate economic growth.
Source: Ghana News Agency