Corruption and public accountability deliberations held at Chereponi

The Chereponi District Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has held a durbar for citizens in the Chereponi District in the North East Region to educate them on Public Accountability and Environmental Governance.

The durbar was also aimed at empowering the citizens to report acts of corruption and demand accountability from duty bearers and other public officials.

It was also to raise awareness on the effective management of the environment and encourage them to show interest in issues about the environment.

The sensitisation formed part of the NCCE’s Accountability, Rule of Law, and Anti-Corruption Programme (ARAP), which is being funded by the European Union.

Participants at the durbar included such as political parties, faith-based organisations, local government officials, assembly members, Heads of Department and Agencies, traditional authorities, women groups, people with disabilities and youth groups among others.

Alhaji Musah Saani, the Chereponi District Director of the NCCE, said corruption negatively affects the citizen leading to insufficient allocation of resources, low-quality education and poor health care among others.

He said the law and other conventional means are the best ways citizens could use in combating corruption and poor environmental management in society.

Alhaji Saani said the Whistle-Blowers Act gives legal protection to individuals who report any act of corruption and urged citizens to help curb corruption by condemning and reporting it to the right authorities such as CHRAJ, and the Ghana Police Service among others.

He called on the citizens to protect the environment by stopping illegal activities such as sand winning, illegal felling of trees, and pollution of water bodies.

Alhaji Saani appealed to chiefs and opinion leaders to reintroduce communal work in their communities to help protect the environment.

Some of the participants suggested the need for change in attitude of citizens towards corruption and called on parents to educate their children on the negative effects of corruption.