Report of 2021 Anti-corruption and Transparency week celebration and Human Rights Day held on 14th December, 2021.
Corruption has adverse effects and consequences ranging from loss of development funds, retardation of economic growth, flight of capital to the inflation of administrative costs. Corruption undermines the integrity of socio-legal foundations of legally-constituted authorities as it results in loss of legitimacy and respect. Corruption stifles initiative and creativity as well as demoralizes the honest person and violates the individual’s right to economic and social well-being. With the principal function to investigate instances of alleged or suspected corruption and misappropriation of public funds, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) was established in 1993 by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice Act, Act 456. By virtue of Articles 218(b) and 287(1) of the Constitution, CHRAJ is mandated to investigate complaints of corruption and non-compliance with provisions of the code of conduct for Public Officers.
It is against this backdrop that the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in partnership with the Office of the Bawku Municipal Assembly held the 2021 anti-corruption and transparency week and International Human Rights Day under the theme “Building a culture of integrity transparency and accountability for generations”. In his address to the conference, the Municipal Chief Executive in the person of Hon. Amadu Hamza stated that corruption had been identified as a major cause of poverty, deprivation and under development in Ghana. He added that the high prevalence of corruption had given rise to poor service delivery and inadequate access to basic social amenities thereby threatening Ghana’s developmental aspirations.
He also touched on the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP) stating that it was a coordinated anti-corruption policy of Ghana adopted by the Parliament of Ghana in line with the Directive principle of State Policy. The vision of NACAP, he said, was to create a sustainable democratic Ghanaian society founded on good governance and instilled with high ethics and resources of stakeholders to prevent and fight corruption through the promotion of high ethics and integrity and vigorous enforcement of applicable laws. He added that the 2021 Anti-Corruption and transparency week was expected to make critical contributions to national effort at tackling one of the fundamental issues of corruption i.e integrity. In addition, he said, the week would provide the country another opportunity for the implementation of the national culture review program as well as consolidate the gains made in reducing inequality and advancing human rights.