Kadjebi: Mr. Daniel Agbesi Latsu, the Kadjebi District Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has made a compelling appeal to the youth to tackle corruption as if it were a rampant infection. He urged young people to take an active role in combating corruption in all its forms to benefit society.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Latsu described corruption as a persistent barrier to Ghana's socio-economic and political progress since independence, referring to it as 'an insidious plague.' His remarks were made during a Town Hall Civic Engagement for Out-of-School Youth Groups on the Rule of Law and the Fight Against Corruption in Kadjebi, Oti Region.
The engagement was part of a larger project titled 'Civic Engagements on the Rule of Law and the Fight Against Corruption,' supported by GIZ and the European Union (EU). Mr. Latsu highlighted the project's aim to empower youth with knowledge of civic rights, the Rule of Law, and legal instruments such as the Whistleblower Act. He emphasized the importance of civic education in reducing youth vulnerability to corrupt practices and called for increased awareness creation.
Mr. Latsu encouraged the youth to resist, reject, and report all forms of corruption to the appropriate authorities for investigation and prosecution.
Mr. Eric Arthur Fynn, the Kadjebi District Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), also spoke at the event. He implored participants to avoid corruption, emphasizing how it depletes national resources and affects the poor and vulnerable.
In his presentation on 'Understanding Corruption and Its Forms,' Mr. Fynn identified bribery, fraud, nepotism, extortion, embezzlement, patronage, and favoritism as common forms of corruption. He highlighted corruption as a human rights issue that impacts both lives and property, urging it to be addressed proactively.
Superintendent Frank Nana Asomaning, the Kadjebi District Police Commander, addressed the youth on the importance of sharing information with security agencies to combat crime. Speaking on 'Reporting Wrongdoing - Channels, Protections, and the Role of Law Enforcement Agencies,' he encouraged participants to 'See Something, Say Something,' and maintain confidentiality when reporting cases.
Mr. Richard Dake, Secretary of the Local Accountability Network (LANet), challenged the youth to lead by example by rejecting bribery and dishonesty. He cited key legislation, including the Whistleblower Act, 2006 (Act 720), the Office of the Special Prosecutor's Act, 2017 (Act 959), and the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2019 (Act 989), urging them to report corruption to bodies such as EOCO, CHRAJ, the OSP, and the Police.
Participants of the town hall called for stronger legal frameworks, better protection for whistleblowers, and a 'name and shame' strategy for corrupt officials as ways to significantly curb, if not eliminate, corruption in Ghana.
