Citizen groups, CSOs trained on anti-corruption laws

A two-day workshop has been held at Savelugu in the Northern Region to expose citizen groups and civil society organisations (CSOs) to Ghana’s anti-corruption laws and regulations to enable them to advocate accountable governance, rule of law and justice.

Participants included youth groups, traditional authorities, assembly members, heads of department and agencies, and CSOs.

The Ghana Anti – Corruption Coalition (GACC) in collaboration with the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), and the Ghana Integrity Initiative organised the workshop, whilst the Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA-Ghana) served as the local implementing partner.

The European Union funded programme formed part of the implementation of a three-year project, dubbed: “Strengthening Accountability, Rule of Law and Institutional Responsiveness in Ghana”.

The project seeks to contribute to strengthening public accountability, rule of law and responsiveness through the empowerment of CSOs, media, improvement in internal control regime and promotion of reforms on preventive anti-corruption measures.

Mr Kwesi Boateng Assumeng, the GACC Consultant for the project, said the workshop was to advocate reforms in public ethics regulations, including public asset declaration, political campaign financing regulations and internal control regimes.

It was also to mobilise, empower and provide incentives for citizens including women and youth groups to actively report and speak against corruption.

He sensitised participants on some of the anti-corruption laws and regulations in the country; the Right to Information Law, the Whistleblowers Act and the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

 Mr Boateng Assumeng encouraged participants to take advantage of the various anti-corruption platforms such as the Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre, Corruption Watch, Eye on Corruption and CitizensEye to report suspected corruption cases.

Mr Mohammed Tiamiyu, Northern Regional Director, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, who was represented at the event, said corruption was not just a perception but a sad reality that continued to rob communities of their share of development.

He urged residents to join the fight against corruption and called for the enforcement of laws to help make corruption unattractive.

Hajia Alima Sagito-Saeed, the Executive Director of SWIDA-Ghana, urged stakeholders, especially the youth, to be assertive in demanding accountable governance and rule of law.

She said they must also act as positive change agents in their communities and in their working environment.

Mr Abdul-Salam Alhassan, Secretary of the Savelugu Youth Centre, expressed satisfaction with the information shared, and pledged the Centre’s commitment to supporting institutions to fight corruption.

Source: GNA

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