CHRAJ to check for violations of human rights in Prayer Camps

Bolgatanga, Nov. 13, GNA - The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is to focus their attention on Prayer Camps to find out if there are cases of abuse of clients in the Camps. This would be done in December and Camps found guilty of Human Rights Violations would be sanctioned depending on the extent of violations, Mr Charles Ayamdoo, Upper East Deputy Director, Anti-Corruption, CHRAJ, said at the weekend in Bolgatanga. Mr Ayamdoo was speaking at a public forum organised by CHRAJ for public servants in the Upper East Region under the theme; "Promoting Transparency and Accountability in the Public Service, a focus on the guidelines on conflict of interest for public officials."

He explained that CHRAJ chose to focus on Prayer Camps this year because there had been numerous reports on clients of some Camps being treated inhumanly, like being chained to heavy objects or put in shackles.

Speaking on the topic, "conflict of interest and its importance in fighting corruption", Mr Ayamdoo noted that public servants faced numerous temptations of conflict of interest, which could easily lead to corrupt acts.

Mr Ayamdoo asked public servants not to put themselves in positions whereby their personal interests would conflict with the interest of their departments or the nation, saying that it was expected of the public servant to always put the interest of the nation first. "You have a right to your private life, but there are limitations and matters of personal choice, the exercise of such freedom should not make the public official vulnerable to pressure to use his or her public office improperly, bring significant discredit to the government or undermine the integrity of the public office", he said. He condemned acts like drunkenness while at work, lateness, absenteeism and using office hours for personal work.

He urged them not to receive gifts from people they had served, saying that whether one received the gift before or after the work was the same and should not be encouraged.

Mr Joseph Whittal, Regional Director, CHRAJ, urged the public to make good use of the Whistle Blower Bill and expose corrupt officers in the society.

He said the person who exposed a corrupt act was entitled to 10 per cent of any money that would be retrieved from the culprits or in cases where money was not involved, he or she would still be compensated and his identity protected. He explained that, "one could disclose information where one had reasonable cause to believe that the information tended to show that an economic crime had been committed, is about to be committed or is likely to be committed. "Another person has not complied with a law or is in the process of breaking a law or is likely to break a law which imposes an obligation on that person, and in a public institution there has been there is or there is likely to be waste, misappropriation or mismanagement of public resources."