Traditional authorities in the Greater Accra Region have expressed their willingness to support and assist anti-graft institutions to fight corruption and corruption-related issues.
They are also prepared to get involved in nation building, national cohesion and are willing to help in the fight against corruption but claim they have been relegated to the background.
Nii Kinka Dowouna IV, the President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, expressed the willingness of the House when the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in collaboration with the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) engaged the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs to build their capacity to understand the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP).
The engagement with traditional authorities is series of events to support and assist implementation of NACAP, increase awareness on the plan also aimed at promoting GII’s Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC), an avenue to report and pursue incidences of corruption for redress.
He noted that traditional authorities in the localities do not get access to the budget relating to their jurisdiction and district chief executives carry out activities in the traditional authorities jurisdiction without soliciting their views.
Nii Kinka Dowouna, who is also the Paramount Chief of Osu Traditional Council, called for support and assistance for traditional authorities to play their active roles in an ethical environment that would create sustainable democratic dispensation, good governance and rule of law to minimise corruptible acts.
Richard Quayson, Deputy Commissioner of CHRAJ, said there is the need for traditional authorities to play their part in actions spelt out in the National Cultural Review and urged them to help create appropriate ethical environment to minimise opportunities and initiatives which promoted corruption.
“The vision of NACAP is to create a sustainable democratic society founded on good governance and rule of law imbued with high ethics and integrity,” he said.
Mary Awelana Addah, Programmes Manager, GII, observed that the fight against corruption was not a day’s event rather, it was a process that needed constant activities geared towards winning the battle, the Initiative had made available platforms to allow the citizenry to report issues of corruption continuously for campaign to succeed.
“Traditional authorities have the power of assembling subjects which is necessary for them to help in fight against corruption with resources at their disposal,” she said. -gna.org
