The Bongo Traditional Council in the Upper East Region has pledged to complement government’s efforts in tackling corruption in the country.
The Paramount Chief of Bongo traditional area, Naba Baba Salifu Leemyarum made the pledge on Thursday during a stakeholder forum themed, “Transparency and Accountability”, organised by the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) at the chief’s palace in Bongo.
The forum, which attracted 42 divisional and sub chiefs, 17 queen mothers and elders of the traditional council, was aimed at getting their support to help fight corruption in the country. It was sponsored by the European Union,
The paramount chief pledged the traditional council’s support, saying he will offer more platforms, including durbars and festivities, for the staff of the NCCE to educate and sensitise the communities Bongo District about the mode, causes and the effects of corruption.
He also pledged to pay for the cost of the air time for the NCCE to use the Bongo Community Radio Station “to preach against the canker.”
Naba Leemyarum, who is a former staff of the NCCE, said that corruption transcends beyond the political lenses and entreated his chiefs and queen mothers to show leadership devoid of corruption.
The District Director of CHRAJ, Amos Ayuure, said bureaucratic and petty corruption such as lateness to work and closing early from work were among the major factors, and impressed upon people to use the “Whistle Blower Act” by reporting people involved in corruption to the appropriate authorities
He cited the practice where traders engaged in petty corrupt acts by under measuring food stuff such as millet, maize and beans in bowls, and sell them at cut-throat prices to unsuspecting consumers.
The District Director of the NCCE in charge of the Bongo District, Ms Alice Ndego said bribery, nepotism, cronyism and favouritism are part of corruption, and explained that the canker had become a major threat to development, depriving of the nation social amenities such as water, road, schools, hospitals and housing.
The district director, who doubles as the Queen mother of Bazua in the Bawku traditional area, said government alone could not tackle the menace, and called for transparence and accountability, and citizen participation, to curb it.
She said the traditional rulers were major stakeholders in addressing the issue since they were the custodians of the land and wield much influence at the community levels, and urged them to take advantage of that to check the behaviour.
The District Director said the Commission had drawn a number of programmes to sensitise more identifiable groups, including Assembly members, market women, religious leaders and the youth among others in the district, to mitigate the issue.
FROM SAMUEL AKAPULE, BONGO
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