Ghana corruption fight must start in homes, stakeholders say

Stakeholders in Ghana have urged families to take the lead in tackling corruption by teaching children integrity, patriotism and honesty from an early age.

Parents, guardians and society as a whole were encouraged to promote values including love for the nation, moderation and the fear of God as part of efforts to confront the country’s growing corruption problem.

The call was made at a one-day follow-up workshop organised by the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) at Abesim, near Sunyani in the Bono Region.

The event brought together traditional leaders, clergy, civil society representatives and anti-corruption campaigners. It was held under the “Strengthening Accountability, Rule of Law and Institutional Responsiveness in Ghana” (SARIS) project.

Funded by the European Union (EU), SARIS is being implemented in 24 districts across Ghana. Its aims include strengthening the watchdog role of civil society organisations and supporting advocacy for reforms to improve the country’s integrity systems.

The project is led by the Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana (CDD-Ghana), in partnership with the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) and Transparency International Ghana (TI Ghana).

Participants at the workshop raised concerns about the increasing practice of vote-buying and bribery. They said such behaviour had become common even during the election of prefects in some basic schools.

They warned that exposing children to those practices at a young age could normalise corrupt conduct and help entrench a wider culture of corruption.

Johnson Mawuli Tsagli, Bono Regional Administrator of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), said tackling corruption required the involvement of every part of society.

He identified parents, teachers, religious leaders and members of local communities as key figures in encouraging ethical conduct and accountability.

Mr Tsagli said changing public attitudes was central to the anti-corruption effort, although he acknowledged that progress would depend on sustained advocacy and public education.

“The petty gifts we even take, though part of our culture, we are greasing our palms to leverage future opportunities”, he stated.

Nana Akosua Pokuaa, Akyeamehemaa of New Dormaa, a suburb of Sunyani, and a basic schoolteacher, said traditional authorities could make an important contribution to anti-corruption campaigns.

She called for chiefs and queen mothers to be given greater support and authority to lead advocacy efforts within their communities.

Nana Pokuaa also appealed to families to explain to children how corruption harms individuals, communities and national development.

Samuel Kofi Adagbodzo, Planning Officer at the Sunyani Municipal Assembly, described corruption as a social canker that required a united response.

“Corruption is a social canker and very difficult to treat. However, we can make headway if we begin the fight from our homes,” he said.

Raphael Godlove Ahenu, an anti-corruption advocate and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Media Foundation (GloMeF), a human rights and media advocacy non-governmental organisation, urged citizens to demand accountability from public officials.

Pamela Laourou, Assistant Communications Officer of the GACC, said corruption remained a serious barrier to national development and continued to deny many people, particularly children, access to essential social services.

She said the problem was still one of the major impediments to Ghana’s progress and expressed concern that some schools were continuing to hold lessons under trees.

Ms Laourou urged participants to take ownership of the anti-corruption campaign and play an active role in reducing corruption in their communities.

She stressed that defeating corruption would require continuous commitment and sacrifice from every citizen.

“Without sacrifice, we can’t make a headway,” she added.