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The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has called on the youth to stand against all forms of electoral corruption and illegal interference with the electioneering process to manipulate outcomes for political advantage.
Very Rev. Prof. Mark Nii Lamptey, the Anti-Corruption Ambassador/Campaigner of the GACC, made the call at separate engagements with students of Mankessim Secondary Technical Senior High School and Mfantseman Girls Senior High School to mark this year’s Africa Union (AU) Anti-Corruption Day.
The celebration was on the theme: “Effective Whistle-blowers’ Protection Mechanism: A Critical Tool in the Fight Against Corruption.”
It was organised by the GACC, Mfantseman Local Accountability Network (LANet), and Lamanconsult Foundation, the focal organisations, with funding from the Hewlett Foundation.
Prof. Lamptey said corruption continued to be a canker impeding the developmental progress of the country, with its impact widely visible through inadequate healthcare facilities and bad roads, among other things, on the entire African continent.
He educated the students on the types of electoral corruption, including manipulation of rules governing elections, distorting voters’ preferences using deceptive campaign tactics, vote buying and selling, as well as underage voting.
Other illegal acts include increasing the votes of a favoured candidate, registration and voting malpractices, electoral corruption offences and sanctions, as well as how to boldly stand against electoral corruption. Prof. Lamptey advised the students not to allow anyone to influence them with money and other materials to buy their conscience, saying the future of the country must be prioritised.
He advised them to be law-abiding, protect their integrity, and report all forms of corruption to the appropriate quarters. Call 0800-000-700 or send the information to [email protected], he noted.
“Let us unite in our efforts to foster a more transparent and accountable society and collectively pledge and renew our commitment to the principles of transparency, accountability, and integrity,” he said. “We can build a corruption-free society where public trust is upheld and democratic principles remain steadfast.”
