Corruption fight: Reject vote buying and refuse to pay bribes — CHRAJ urges Ghanaians

The Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Dr. Joseph Akanjolenur Whittal, has urged Ghanaians to reject all forms of corruption and actively support efforts to hold public officials accountable.

He called on citizens to report corrupt practices, refuse to offer or accept bribes and cooperate with anti-corruption institutions in the national fight against graft.

Speaking at a public forum on "Restoring Citizens' Trust in the Fight Against Corruption in Ghana: The Role of the Media" in Accra on Wednesday, June 17, Dr. Whittal said public confidence in anti-corruption institutions continues to decline despite the existence of laws and agencies established to tackle corruption.

He referenced findings from recent surveys, including Afrobarometer, which suggest that many Ghanaians perceive corruption to be increasing while confidence in the state's ability to address the problem remains low.

According to him, trust in public institutions is built on transparency, accountability, fairness, competence and integrity.

He explained that citizens are more likely to trust institutions when corruption allegations are investigated professionally, public officials are held accountable and anti-corruption bodies are adequately resourced and allowed to operate independently.

The CHRAJ Commissioner further noted that corruption persists not only because some people demand bribes but also because others willingly offer them.

"Citizens can therefore report corruption to appropriate institutions, demand transparency from public institutions or public officials, support investigative journalism, reject vote buying and political patronage, refuse to pay bribes and use the Right to Information Act to seek information from public institutions," he said.

Dr. Whittal further highlighted the critical role of the media in exposing corruption, promoting transparency and keeping public institutions accountable.

He praised investigative journalists for uncovering procurement irregularities, abuse of office and illicit financial activities, noting that many corruption scandals would have remained hidden without their efforts but called for increased focus on procurement.