Boy, 14, wins corruption art competition

Accra, Dec. 13, GNA - An artwork by a 14-year pupil of Kwegyir Aggrey Memorial School in the Ga West District on Thursday emerged the overall best of an anti-corruption slogan and art competition organised by the Ghana Anti-corruption Coalition (GACC).

Master Christian Arthur depicted a corruption campaign with the map of Ghana painted horizontally with the national colours and a tree symbolising 'corruption' being uprooted from it. It had a slogan, "Proye Yeretu Ase" in Akan, meaning, "Corruption, We are uprooting it".

He received GH=A2 300, assorted books, computer with a printer and a 50-inch Samsung plasma television set for his school.

Mrs Florence Dennis, Executive Secretary, GACC said the competition was aimed at engaging the youth between ages 12 and 18 in anti-corruption campaign in order to inculcate the understanding of the concept in them.

She said the contestants were to use Akan, Ewe, Dagbani and Ga to design simple and original concepts of corruption after which a panel was selected to review their work.

Mrs Dennis said participation was very encouraging and keen; adding that over 1,400 children participated in the competition. Mrs Oboshie Sai-Cofie, Minister of Information and National Orientation, in a speech read on her behalf, said although the Government had instituted various measures and mechanisms to check the corruption and institute, good governance, respect for rule of law and discipline.

She said the introduction of the national orientation programme would also help to inculcate a sense of nationalism, respect for national assets, patriotism, productivity and accountability into the citizenry. Dr Mechthild Reunger, Programme Manager for German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), co-sponsors of the competition, said the Cooperation, through its good governance programme was supporting the Serious Fraud Office in capacity development and GACC, to ensure zero tolerance for corruption.

She said there was the need to raise questions about certain political gifts and other practices that might contribute to corruption, especially as the country entered an election year and to tackle them. She congratulated the award winners and advised the youth not to be clouded by the political environment but to focus on their education and moral training.

Other award winners were Ms Maureen Maud Bentum, Wesley Grammar School; Master Dawood Samira, SDA Junior High School, Tamale; Ms Iddi Nimatu, Ghana Senior High School, Tamale; Master Dedi Ebenezer, Sogakope Senior High School and Master Gafatsi Kekeli Raphael, Keta Secondary School. 13 Dec. 07