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The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has intensified efforts to instil values of integrity, transparency and accountability in young people to help strengthen good governance and restore public confidence in the country’s institutions.
This follows growing concern over ethical breaches in public life and the rising problem of influence peddling, which governance experts warn are quietly corroding public trust, threatening democratic governance and undermining decision-making in the country’s institutions.
At a civic symposium at the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in Sunyani, stakeholders warned that weak adherence to ethical standards and limited citizen understanding of accountability systems continued to erode confidence in public institutions and undermine national development.
It formed part of activities under the “Civic Engagements on the Rule of Law and the Fight Against Corruption” initiative being implemented by the NCCE under the Participation, Accountability and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) Programme, with support from the European Union (EU) and GIZ.
The symposium brought together members of the Civic Education Club, academics and media practitioners, aimed at nurturing the new generation to be committed to transparency, integrity and respect for the rule of law.
The Bono Regional Director of the NCCE, Cynthia Anima Boadu, explained that ethical leadership, transparency and accountability remained indispensable pillars for sustaining the country’s democracy.
She said that although the country had established legal and institutional frameworks to promote accountability, many citizens, particularly the youth, lacked opportunities to critically engage with governance issues or apply ethical principles in real-life contexts.
That gap, Ms Boadu said, highlighted the urgent need for intensified civic education to equip young people with values of integrity, fairness and responsibility in leadership and decision-making.
Ms Boadu explained that the programme had engaged out-of-school youth and women’s groups in 65 districts across the country.
She said lessons from the engagements pointed to growing public interest in accountability processes and persistent gaps in understanding ethical governance issues, such as conflict of interest and influence peddling.
“These practices weaken institutional credibility and reduce public confidence in governance systems,” she cautioned.
The Regional Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Alhaji Gawusu Abdul-Wadood, said conflict of interest was prevalent in both public and private institutions.
He said the practice, if not checked, could distort decision-making processes and breed corruption.
On influence peddling, Alhaji Abdul-Wadood described it as the illegal use of one’s real or perceived connections with public officials to secure favours or preferential treatment, often in exchange for money or other benefits.
He encouraged the public to actively demand accountability from duty bearers and uphold ethical standards within their institutions and communities.
