Tackle corruption from the family level

The Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has stated that the fight against corruption in the system must begin from the homes, through the communities towards the national level.

Mr Charles Ayamdo, the Director in-charge of Anti-Corruption of the CHRAJ, explained that to eliminate corruption from the system, parents and guardians must inculcate the spirit of honesty and integrity into their wards at their tender ages so that they did not depart from these in their adulthood.

He was contributing to a dialogue on the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) with officials of the Western Regional Coordinating Council, heads of departments, and representatives of the media and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Sekondi.

CHRAJ, which is the lead implementing agency of the NACAP, approved by Parliament, in 2012, is holding a series of dialogue with officials of the Regional Coordinating Councils, the media, heads of department, and the MMDCEs in order to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of the NACAP.

In the homes, Mr Ayamdo said parents and guardians must ensure that their wards led honest lives and they questioned them on their sources of funding when they acquired expensive property beyond their means.

“It is important to target the people when they are young so that they do not grow to learn dishonesty,” the Anti-Corruption Director stated, adding that, failure on the part of adults to query the expensive lifestyles could begin the endorsement of corruption.

However, he cautioned that adults must themselves, lead exemplary lives and create the congenial atmosphere in the homes to attract the young ones to enjoy staying at home.

He said people at the helm of affairs, government officials, and politicians, should not be the only ones branded as being corrupt but any person who exhibited dishonesty in his conduct at any level.

Mr Ayamdo said corruption was punishable by not only exposing the culprit but also by prosecuting and confiscating his booty.

He urged the media to be bold in publishing cases of corruption but without bias and sensationalism because that could undermine investigations.

They must equally use their medium to sensitise the public on corruption and its impact on society and how to address it.

In a welcoming address, Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, the Western Regional Minister, called for a collective effort by the entire citizenry in the fight corruption as it could not be won otherwise.

He expressed regret that while the world celebrated anti-corruption days, people here continued to thwart the efforts of the government to eliminate corruption by their unpatriotic behaviour.

Mr Aidoo said the Region had recorded cases of embezzlement of funds at the Bibiani District Assembly involving a Coordinating Director and Finance Officer, and they were being pursued by the Police.