Mr Richard Quayson, Deputy Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has advised the youth to make conscious efforts to maintain high standards of integrity.
This, he said would reflect in every aspect of their lives so that they would be bold to point out wrongdoings and help in correcting some of the social vices that had become endemic among the present generation.
“Central to character building should be the cultivation of “Integrity” as the bedrock of education and human relations; without which it is impossible to attain any meaningful level of sustainable development,” he emphasised.
Mr Quayson was speaking at a youth forum on integrity held in Accra yesterday by CHRAJ in partnership with Accountability, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (ARAP) with funding from the European Union.
The forum formed part of activities to mark the Anti-Corruption and Transparency (ACT) week and NACAP conference.
It brought together more than 200 students from various senior high schools including Accra Academy, Accra High SHS, Presbyterian Boys, Legon, Presbyterian SHS, Osu, Accra Girls, Kinbu SHS, St Thomas Aquinas, St. Mary’s SHS, Wesley Grammar School and Holy Trinity SHS.
The forum was to give students the opportunity to present their views on integrity and anti-corruption, and give voice to their views and concerns.
He said in order to ensure that the nation’s human resource was well equipped with high moral standards and lifetime ethics for social engagement, which translated into great benefits to the nation, there was the need to inculcate and nurture lifelong values in children at their early stages.
Mr Quayson noted that it was therefore imperative that the development and implementation of the country’s educational curricula was done on the bedrock of integrity adding that it was time to emphasize integrity and character just as much as knowledge was being emphasised.
Madam Anna Bossman, Ghana’s Ambassador to France, on her part urged the youth to cultivate an anti-corruption behaviour in their everyday life as they were integral in the fight against corruption as they represented the future.
BY ALLIA NOSHIE
