CHRAJ holds conference on the anti-corruption

Mr Richard Quayson, Deputy Commissioner on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, has called for strong inter-sectoral collaboration towards addressing corruption within the public and civil service.

He said there was no doubt that corruption had become one of the biggest threats to the peace and security of the country and the most talked about subject everywhere, with scathing remarks and public cynicism about efforts by the state to fight the menace.

Mr Quayson made the call on Monday at a high level conference on the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP), organised by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).

The two-day conference, on the theme: “NACAP: Building Consensus on the Fight Against Corruption,” was to, among other things, explore ways of building further consensus on the implementation of short and medium term programmes of action under the Plan.

It was also to build strategic partnerships with all major stakeholders as they played their respective roles under the NACAP.

Mr Quayson said though Ghana had made some modest achievements in her efforts to combat corruption, and continued to do so, the results of those efforts appeared insignificant, compared to what the public perceived as the level of the issue and the high price they were forced to pay.

According to him, many Ghanaians found it unacceptable that the country had failed to invest significantly in the fight against corruption, when the economic and developmental benefits alone from such investment could be so overwhelming.

“Unfortunately as some of these criticisms may be, they are harsh realities we have to address with great urgency, and in a sustainable and strategic manner,” he said.

The NACAP, which was developed in 2012 following intensive consultations at the national, regional and district levels, was co-ordinated by a national working group representatives from CHRAJ, Office of the President, Parliament, Economic and Organised Crime Office, Judiciary, Governance institutions, Civil Society Organistions, development partners as well as anti-corruption experts and practitioners.

Mr Quayson said there was the national strategic response to the fight against corruption in Ghana and, therefore, its implementation should be approached in a manner that would build confidence and hope in the people.

Mr Charles Ayamdoo, Director of Anti-Corruption Commission, said NACAP’s mission was to contextualise and mobilise efforts and resources of stakeholders to prevent and fight corruption through the promotion of high ethics and integrity and the vigorous enforcement of applicable laws.

He said they should be supported to build public capacity to condemn and fight corruption and make its practice a high-risk and low-gain activity.

He said the Commission would institutionalise efficiency, accountability and transparency in the public, private and non-profit sectors and engage individuals, media and CSOs in the report and combat of corruption as well as conduct effective investigations and prosecution of corrupt conducts.