Accra, January 26, 2018//-As part of efforts to promote the fight against corruption in the country, the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has beefed up its advocacy, training and as well mobilize the Ghanaian populace on how to report wrongful and improper conduct.
Mr. Bright Sowu, Senior Researcher at the GACC, indicated that, it’s imperative each and everyone tries as much as possible to contribute to the fight to bring down corruption in the society.
He was training student leaders of the University of Ghana Legon in Accra, at a day’s training workshop on corruption reporting themed ‘Empowering Student Leaders with the 3Rs of Corruption’ to enable them boldly Resist, Reject and Report any acts of corruption.
The programme was organized by the GACC and funded by the United States (US) Embassy in Ghana.
According to Mr. Sowu, the training is purposes to encourage the students to take advantage of corruption reporting mechanisms – “Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre” and the “I paid a bribe”, to unmask corrupt public officials.
The Legal Advice Centre has been receiving complaints from witnesses or victims corruption through one-on-one meetings, post mails, or telephone calls while complaints are lodged online, regarding the “I paid a bribe” approach.
Mr. Sowu said, the level of illiteracy and ignorance in the society is high, thus making things easy for corrupt people to exploit their ignorance. He therefore urged people to seek information about things they wanted to do from people, as well as take advantage of the corruption reporting channels such as the Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC) to report corrupt persons for prosecution.
Pointing out that, not only public officials could be blamed for corruption in the country, but also the citizens. Saying, if citizens eschew corruption and prepares their minds to report all acts of corruption they come across, then corrupt public officials would also run away from being corrupt.
However, he urged the student leaders not to allow themselves to be corrupted, but rather to hold onto the principles of anti-corruption, being transparency, participation and accountability, by involving their subordinates in all aspects of decision-making.
He said, it is apt for them to put up a good virtue at this stage of leadership, as they move ahead in life to lead with integrity, occupying public or private positions in the future. He also cited that, a corrupt student leader is equally bound to be corrupt when entrusted with a public position in the future.
By Sammy Adjei
