Corruption remains a deep-rooted canker that Ghana grapples with. It may just be in its last days as the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) join forces to tackle it head-on and nip it in the bud.
This approach was revealed when the Special Prosecutor (SP), Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, paid a courtesy call on the Chairperson of the NCCE, Ms. Kathleen Addy, in Accra.
In her welcome remarks, Ms. Addy expressed appreciation to the OSP for the visit. She explained the mandate of the Commission, its values, and its scope of work. She also mentioned the thematic areas that drive civic education and added that anti-corruption campaigns form part of the Commission’s civic engagements nationwide. Ms. Addy underscored the need to intensify public education on corruption to rally citizens in Ghana’s collective effort to fight corrupt acts.
Mr. Kissi Agyebeng was pleased with the warm reception and acknowledged the crucial role the NCCE has played in the success of Ghana’s democracy. He expressed a deep understanding of the operations of the Commission and endorsed civic education as one of the key strategies needed to fight corruption.
Beyond investigating corruption and corruption-related offenses, prosecuting suspected offenders, and recovering and managing assets from such situations, the OSP emphasized that taking steps to prevent corruption is a fundamental pillar of the Office. According to Mr. Agyebeng, prevention forms about seventy percent (70%) of the OSP’s mandate.
“I look forward to a day where citizens would say, ‘I won’t do this because the OSP will come after me,’ due to the preventive measures put in place—not just the prosecution pillar, which is only a minute portion of the scheme of affairs,” he stated.
The Special Prosecutor stressed the need for measures to curtail corruption and indicated that his outfit has a mandate to educate the citizenry, which sets the foundation for the collaboration with the NCCE. He acknowledged the NCCE’s public education skills, competencies, capacity, reach, and experience, which the OSP intends to leverage.
“You have that particular constitutional mandate of public education, and we (the OSP) have only been given a little bit of it in respect of anti-corruption. So, it will be a step in the right direction to mount our work on yours,” he added.
He also noted that the NCCE’s decentralized structure serves as a strategic resource the OSP can harness to ensure that the anti-corruption message reaches every nook and cranny of the country. According to him, corruption presents a looming danger that must be tackled through impactful education to plug all the loopholes.
In response, the Chairperson of the NCCE described the collaboration initiated by the OSP as refreshing, expressing the Commission’s readiness and commitment to ensure that the partnership yields the expected outcomes. She highlighted that the Commission’s Civic Education Clubs can serve as strategic avenues for reaching young citizens with the anti-corruption message, as they are more vulnerable and need reorientation as they prepare to take on leadership roles in the future.
“We have a very competent team with high capacity in their area of profession. They are dedicated and will do a great job in that regard. The core strength of the NCCE is public education, and we have the skills to transmit messages to the receiver and help bring about behaviour change. We are happy about this collaboration, and we do look forward to working with you,” Ms. Addy stated.
She further emphasized that the anti-corruption agenda is a big one for the country, and collaborations like this, especially among state institutions, are crucial, impactful, and cost-effective.
The meeting ended with further discussions on areas of collaboration. Accompanying the Chairperson were her Deputies in charge of Operations and General Services, Mr. Samuel Akuamoah and Mr. Victor Brobbey (Esq.), respectively, as well as other senior management staff.
