REFUTE ANY ACT OF CORRUPTION AND AID IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) commemorates International Anti-Corruption Day; a United Nations General Assembly inventiveness that aims to raise awareness of corruption and find ways to mitigate it. For this purpose, this day is observed on the 9^th of December every year. The theme for the year is, “Uniting the World Against Corruption”.

International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD) seeks to highlight the crucial link between anti-corruption and peace, security, and development and encourages the citizenry to refute any action of corruption and aid in development. Corruption in all its forms like bribery and kickbacks, extortion, blackmail, bid-rigging, gratuities, product diversion, and cyber extortion has detrimental effects on the government’s effort to deliver effective services to the people. Such acts breed mistrust in government, economic loss and inefficiency, and widen the gap between the rich and the poor.

Article 35(8) of the 1992 Constitution mandates the State to take steps to eradicate acts of corruption and the abuse of power. Parliament recently enacted the Criminal Offences Amendment 2020, (Act 1034), which categorizes corruption as a felony. These mechanisms discourage the act of corruption in the country. Also, Ghana's Whistleblower Act 2006 (Act 720) is founded on the premise that all citizens can, and must, expose all corrupt practices in society to promote development without fear or intimidation. To buttress this, Sustainable Development Goal 16 promotes peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provides access to justice for all and builds effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Therefore, the Commission urges all stakeholders and Ghanaians, in general, to be just, transparent and circumspect in their dealings so that we can prevent penalties like debarment from lucrative markets, criminal liabilities, and hoist the flag of Ghana high. This promotes stability and nation-building for the benefit of all.

Follow us on our social media pages for more stories and posts from the NCCE.

Instagram