CHRAJ urges citizens to condemn and report corrupt acts

By Rashid Mbugri, GNA,

Gambaga (NER), Sept.6, GNA - The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has urged citizens to respond positively against corruption in the country by condemning and reporting all corrupt acts and related activities in the public sector.

This, it noted would play important roles in reducing corruption, promote good governance, improve on accountability as well as ensure compliance with rules and regulations in society.

Mr Nantomah Adam Baani, an official of CHRAJ in charge of Anti-Corruption, gave the advice on Wednesday at a focus group discussion with stakeholders in Gambaga in the North East Region on public Accountability and Environmental Governance.

It was organised by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) with support from the European Union (EU).

The discussion was aimed at soliciting and collating participant’s views, ideas and concerns on corruption as well as take their recommendations on how to reduce corruption to ensure equal access to resources and accountability in the use of public resources in the country.

The discussants were drawn from  Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs), Teacher Associations, Traditional Authorities, District Assemblies, the Ghana Police Service and Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) among others.

The workshop was part of the NCCE's Anti-Corruption, Rule of law and Accountability Programme (ARAP), aimed at reducing corruption and improving on accountability and compliance of citizens on the rule of law in the country.

Mr Baani said corruption affected both the human rights and liberty of citizens and therefore encouraged members of the public not to be afraid to report all corrupt acts and activities to CHRAJ, and gave assurance that his outfit would keep the confidentiality of informants protected.

Alhaji Abdul Razak Saani, Northern Regional Director of the NCCE, said the country lost about $3 billion through corruption annually and therefore there was the need for the NCCE to meet stakeholders to collate their inputs on ways to fight it.

He said the inputs would be drafted into a communique and used to educate citizens at the district level and advised the citizenry to desist from any activities that may lead to the pollution and destruction of the environment to enhance citizens living conditions and protect the environment.

Some of the discussants suggested positive attitudinal change towards work, and called for the effective resourcing of the public sector to enhance effective service delivery.

They suggested the need to incorporate Anti-corruption as a teaching subject in the educational curriculum to educate students on its effects on the economy.

GNA

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