By Laudia Sawer, GNA
Accra, Oct. 5, GNA - The Ga Central Municipal Office of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has held a community durbar with a call on the public to blow the whistle on corrupt practices without fear.
The durbar was organized under the Accountability, Rule of Law, Anti-corruption Action Plan (ARAP) programme, which is one of the flagship programmes of the NCCE.
Madam Barbara Panford, guest speaker at the durbar, indicated that the Whistle Blowers Act, 2006 (ACT 720) made provisions for the protection of persons who reported corrupt acts to appropriate authorities.
Madam Panford noted that “no person can be victimized in any way for blowing the whistle because the Act 720 shields the whistle blower” adding that, most of the time such persons were victimized through dismissal, suspension, declaration of redundancy, denial of promotion, harassment, and transfer against ones’ will, intimidation, discrimination or threats.
She urged persons who honestly and reasonably believed that they had been victimized or about to be victimized because they blew the whistle to file a complaint with CHRAJ for redress.
She said there were a number of cures available to such persons under the act, this she said included cease and desist (an order issued by CHRAJ against anyone who victimized the whistle blower to refrain from such acts), police protection, identity change and location change.
Madam Panford therefore encouraged the public to boldly report corruption under the Whistle Blowers Act as that was one of the major ways to either expose, eradicate or reduce corruption in Ghana.
Madam Cynthis Anima Boadu, Ga Central Municipal NCCE Director, said the ARAP programme was initiated by the NCCE to ensure sensitization of the public nationwide on the effects of corruption and its related issues on the country’s development and to robe in citizens in the fight against corruption.
Alhaji Mohammed Jaktar Hadi, Ga Central Municipal Coordinating Director, chairing the durbar, indicated that corruption was a major problem facing the country and needed to be addressed well to preserve the moral fabric of society.
Alhaji Hadi added that corrupt practices exerted hardship on the citizens as monies that should be used for developmental projects and basic social amenities ended up in private pockets.
GNA
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