Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has extended its anti-corruption campaign to selected basic schools as part of the activities to commemorate the 2023 Africa Union (AU) Anti-Corruption Day.
The campaign aims to raise awareness among students about the negative impact of corruption and their role in combating this societal issue.
The AU Anti-Corruption Day, observed on July 11 across the continent, provides an opportunity to assess progress made in anti-corruption efforts, identify areas for improvement, and explore new strategies.
This year’s theme focuses on celebrating the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption, highlighting achievements and challenges.
GACC, through its Local Accountability Network (LANet), engaged pupils from various basic schools in 31 districts across 14 regions of Ghana. In the Ashanti Region, for instance, GACC organized an interactive session at Santasi M/A Basic School.
During these engagements, the students were educated on the importance of actively opposing corruption as responsible citizens.
The discussions revolved around identifying corrupt practices and encouraging the children to reject corruption in all circumstances. They were encouraged to embrace values such as honesty, lawfulness, patriotism, discipline, and the protection of their integrity both at home and within the school environment.
In a speech delivered on behalf of Mrs. Beauty Emefa Narteh, the Executive Secretary of GACC, it was highlighted that Ghana has demonstrated its commitment to combating corruption. The country has signed and ratified the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC), joining a group of 48 nations that have subscribed to this important covenant.
Furthermore, Ghana has developed the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) as a comprehensive framework to guide and enhance anti-corruption efforts within the country. NACAP serves as a roadmap, outlining strategies and actions aimed at preventing and addressing corruption in various sectors of society.
“What remains, however, is the domestication of the key aspects of the convention, including criminalising illicit enrichment, diversion of state property as well as conflict of interest,” she stated.
He called on the Executive and Parliament to work towards passing the Conduct of Public Officers Bill into law to enhance the fight against corruption in Ghana.
Corruption, according to her, remained a reality in Ghana and called on Ghanaians to revisit our cultural values that prohibited corrupt conducts.
Madam Aba Oppong, a Representative of LANet, underscored the need for the youth to be targeted in the fight against corruption to ensure sustainability in the campaign.
She said the greatest corruption against children was early sexual encounter which was mostly perpetrated by adults who were supposed to protect such children and advocated stiffer punishment for culprits.
That is the way to go as a country to reduce the increasing rate of teenage pregnancy, school dropouts and general child delinquency, she opined.