The National Commission for Civic Education, (NCCE) in the Sissala West District has taken its campaign against corruption to the people of Kandia in the district.
The Commission engaged the people on the mechanisms of blowing the whistle on corrupt practices and other ills of the Ghanaian society.
The educational campaign forms part of the Accountability, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme ARAP being implemented by the Commission and funded by the European Union, EU.
Officials of the Commission sensitized the people to the legal regimes on blowing the whistle so that they can contribute to reducing corruption and also promote accountability in the society.
Students of Hilla Limann Senior High School in the district also staged a drama that portrayed the need for the people to safeguard and uphold the tenets of Rule of Law, public accountability and good environmental governance.
Speaking at the durbar, the Municipal Director in-charge of Sissala East and Sissala West District of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, CHRAJ Dangah Modestus urged the people to take the act of whistle blowing very seriously.
He said failure to blow the whistle to expose corrupt practices in the society will further impoverish them since the scarce resources that are meant to bring development to the various communities will be amassed by few people for their personal benefits.
Mr. Modestus encouraged the community members to report any act of corruption to CHRAJ for investigation, assuring them that their identities will be protected.
“When or where it becomes necessary for CHRAJ to provide security for a whistle blower, the Commission will not hesitate to do so”, the Muncipal Director of CHRAJ said.
The District Director of NCCE for Sissala West Hussein Elyasu said corruption is a serious threat to the country’s democracy.
He said in the past coup de’ tats were stagedin Ghana due to the level corruption and expressed fear that with the number of alleged reported cases of corruption in the country now, some adventurers may also want to take advantage of the situation.
Mr. Elyasu said this can be avoided if all citizens show their love and patriotism to Ghana by exposing all manner of corrupt practices beginning at the community level.
Mr. Elyasu further told the people to protect the environment by practicing open defecation free, proper disposal of waste and desist from cutting down of trees especially shea and dawadawa tress for charcoal.
During an open forum Some participants complained of alleged smuggling of government subsidized fertilizer to Burkina Faso, cutting down of rosewood from the area by people purporting to be licensed.
They also expressed displeasure over harassment on the roads by the police and shoddy works on government projects. The participants accused the Sissala West District Assembly for failing to act when the matter is reported to the assembly.
Story filed by Sualah Abdul-wahab.
