Mr Adam Yakubu Benin, the Sissala East Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), has urged young people to be firm and bold in reporting perceived corrupt practices in both public and private institutions for investigation and action.
He said corruption was a major setback in the nation’s development efforts, and that every well-meaning person in Ghana, including the youth, had a responsibility to help fight the menace.
Mr Benin was speaking at a day’s capacity-building session for young people in the informal sector in the Municipality on strengthening the rule of law and the fight against corruption in Ghana.
About 50 young people from youth groups and associations in the Municipality participated in the engagement, which sought to empower them with the knowledge of their rights and responsibilities and the protection provided by the Whistleblower Act, Act 2006 (Act 720) in corruption reporting.
The engagement was also aimed at empowering the youth to speak out against wrongdoings in society without fear, fostering a sense of civic duty and responsibility among them.
It was organised by the Sissala East Municipal office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in partnership with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and co-funded by the European Union (EU).
Mr Benin encouraged the participants to take solace in the Whistleblower Act to report suspicious acts of corruption to the appropriate institution for the necessary action to be taken.
He said such issues could be reported to the Public Relations and Complaints Committee of the District Assembly, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the National Investigation Bureau (NIB) or the Ghana Police Service.
“The fight against corruption can be meaningful if individuals are self-disciplined, ready to speak and act right,” Mr Hussein Elyasu, the Sissala East Municipal Director of the NCCE, indicated.
He stressed that corruption had been identified as a major obstacle to national development, which had informed the need for national orientation for attitudinal change and upholding national values.
On his part, Mr Osman Kanton, the Executive Director of Action for Sustainable Development (ASUDEV), said the 1992 Constitution of Ghana guarantees the fundamental human rights and freedoms of every citizen.
He, therefore, challenged the youth to demand accountability from duty bearers in accordance with the rule of law.
Mr Kanton said, while demanding accountability from duty bearers, the youth must also honour their civic duties of helping to fight crime in society, including corruption.
Some of the participants, who spoke at the engagement, gave assurance of being active citizens by reporting suspected corruption-related issues they witnessed or faced in the municipality and beyond.