Agona swedru: The Local Accountability Network (LANET), in collaboration with the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), has taken proactive steps to educate students at Agona Swedru Methodist (A) Basic School on the pervasive effects of corruption, bribery, and fraud. This initiative is part of the broader African Union Anti-Corruption Day celebration, which this year focuses on the theme: ‘Justice for Africans and people of African descent through reparation.’
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Benjamin Buabeng, Director of Hero Network, emphasized the need for individuals in influential positions to avoid engaging in fraudulent activities, bribery, corruption, and nepotism, which are detrimental to the country’s economic progress. He encouraged students to act courageously and report any known corrupt practices to security agencies, even if these occur within their own educational environment.
Additionally, Mr. Abubakar Adams, the Agona West Municipal Director of LANET, urged students to remain vigilant and avoid cheating during examinations, as this too constitutes a form of corruption. He highlighted that corruption and bribery deprive the nation of essential funds that could otherwise be used for infrastructure development, such as roads, hospitals, and schools. These funds, he noted, often end up in the hands of a few individuals pursuing their interests at the expense of national progress.
Mr. Daniel Ansonaing, representing the Agona Swedru Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), noted that state institutions are legally mandated to address issues of bribery, nepotism, and embezzlement. He stressed the civic duty of every Ghanaian to act as a whistleblower and report corrupt practices to authorities such as the Police and CHRAJ. He further detailed various forms of corruption, including grand and petty bribery, nepotism, and embezzlement, all of which hinder the nation’s socio-economic development.