Mary Adjeley Nartey, the Greater Accra Regional Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), has admonished Ghanaians not to leave the corruption fight to only mandated institutions if progress was to be attained.

She said the canker would only be minimized or eradicated when citizens complemented the efforts of institutions such as the CHRAJ, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), and the Ghana Police Service by being crusaders against the phenomenon.

Mrs Nartey made the call when she addressed a gathering of anti-corruption campaigners on Wednesday in Accra.

The progamme organised by the Musician Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) and sponsored by Star-Ghana Foundation was to create awareness of the impact corruption had on the nation’s development

It was held on the theme “Let’s Fight Corruption Now”.

Mrs Nartey said “we have been blessed with a lot of natural resources which when managed with honesty we can create a lot of jobs, especially for the youth and that could enhance the nation’s development”.

“But now what do we see? We go to the hospitals where even drugs and beds needed to treat us are unavailable due to someone’s dishonesty and corrupt act. There are so many things that are retarding our development which we need to put a stop to and corruption is a major phenomenon,” she added.

She, therefore, urged the public to make use of the Whistle Blowers’ Act by reporting corrupt acts to the appropriate agencies and institutions.

“Corruption is not just about one person but the responsibility of every citizen of this country, therefore, I will urge you to report any financial misappropriation and any other corrupt acts to us and we will investigate to ascertain the truth and ensure that justice takes its cause. CHRAJ is there to ensure that people who give information about corrupt acts are protected under the Whistle Blower Act”.

Mrs Mercy Essien, the Deputy Director of NCCE, also underscored the need for public involvement in the fight against the canker.

“Sometimes we only demand our rights forgetting that rights come with responsibilities. We therefore have to take responsibility in this fight to ensure that corruption, which has become endemic in our society, was brought to its barest minimum”.

She said even though the Commission was financially weak, it would continue to organize educative programmes until positive result was attained.

“We have embarked on several campaigns on corruption. For instance, last year we organised a programme called Accountability, Rule of Law and Anti-corruption programme. We went to various schools, religious organisations as well as traditional societies to educate them on the negative impact of corruption”.

“The media should also help us drum home this message of the negative impact of corruption and I believe through that we can win this fight”, she added.

Mr Bice Osei, President of MUSIGA also bemoaned the impact the phenomenon was having on the country, especially in terms of development.

He, therefore, called for a united front in the fight against the canker so as to ensure that the fight was won.

“The fight against corruption is not for the NCCE alone, neither is it the job for CHRAJ or other Civic Society Organisations but one for each and every citizen of this country. When you and I decide to become ambassadors to speak against corruption that is the only time we can see progress in our fight against the canker”.