The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and other anti-corruption civil society organizations comprising SEND-Ghana and Ghana Anti Corruption Coalition (GACC) is implementing a USAID funded activity, known as, Accountable Democratic Institutions and Systems Strengthening (ADISS) in 50 districts in Ghana over a four-year period, spanning from September 2014 to September 2018.

Five districts in the Northern Region namely, Tolon, West Mamprusi districts, The Savelugu/Nanton and Yendi Municipalities and the Tamale Metropolis are benefitting from the community durbars.

The goal of ADISS is to increase government accountability by renewing and building upon ongoing anti-corruption efforts and increase capacities of anti-corruption CSOs to motivate citizens to apply pressure on policy makers to reduce corruption.

Mr Joseph Azam Makido, the officer in charge of the Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC) under SEND-Ghana, speaking at the sensitization forum, said the citizen’s participation in the fight against corruption was low hence the need to embark on such a crusade.

He said there are some cultural practices that breed corruption and at the same time hinder the fight against corruption and expressed the hope that the project would help citizens to play their expected roles in the fight against corruption.

Mr Makido used the occasion to educate the community members on specific anti-corruption laws as well as the main socio-economic practices that hinder the fight against corruption and informed them about available platforms for reporting corruption.

He said GII and its consortium expected citizens to be more informed and understood the different socio-economic practices that hinder the fight against corruption in their respective districts, which would help the fight against corruption to succeed.

He appealed to traditional authorities as well as community members to commit themselves in fight against corruption in their areas by reporting corrupt practices to the appropriate persons and institutions.

Officials from the Yendi Municipal offices of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) took turns to educate community members on the aspects of the Criminal Code, impact of corruption and anti-corruption laws.