CHRAJ Laments Insufficient Funding For NACAP

The fight against corruption will yield no positive results if the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP), does not get the needed resources to execute projects.

It appears the lack of funding for the NACAP is frustrating anti-corruption efforts.

According to Mr Joseph Whittal, Commissioner of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the issue of insufficient funding is threatening the successful implementation of the NACAP.

Mr Whittal was speaking at the 2018 Anti-Corruption and Transparency (ACT) Week Celebration on the theme; 'Winning the Fight Against Corruption - A Panacea for Ghana Beyond Aid'.

'The corrupt, like every criminal mind, also change their modus operandi almost every time. Today it is 'daylight' stealing of public resources either through procurement or sheer abuse of public power or office, often accompanied by extreme nationalisations of such theft. The next day it is '419' or other innocuous ways of thievery such as quiet corruption,' Mr Whittal said.

'The cost of these acts of corruption can be devastating and a constant assessment of our strategies to confront corruption is not necessary but critical,' he said.

On the impending ending of the fourth year of the implementation of NACAP in a few weeks, Mr Whittal said: 'Can we as (government; ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs); metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs); civil society organisations; faith-based organisations, media and the public) confirm that we have done what the NACAP expects us to do in the last four years?

He noted that, he could only say, based on the information available to him that not many partners/agencies showed interest in the implementation of NACAP and that insufficient funding for implementation of NACAP remains a threat to its success.

Mr Whittal announced that the NACAP High Level National Conference scheduled for December 10, would conclude the activities of the ACT Week.

Professor George Gyan-Baffour, the Minister of Planning, formally launched the ACT Week on behalf of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

Ghana in 2014 adopted NACAP as a blue print to fight corruption, whilst its implementation which commenced in 2015, is expected to contextualise and mobilise efforts and resources of stakeholders to prevent and fight corruption through the promotion of high ethics and integrity as well as vigorous enforcement of applicable laws.

It aims to institutionalise efficiency, accountability and transparency in the public, private and not-for profit sectors as well as conduct effective investigations and prosecution of corrupt conduct.

It also focuses on causes effects and measures to control corruption and outline measures for strengthening key anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies improving investigation and prosecution.

The main purpose of the ACT Week is to promote effective implementation of NACAP, sustain the campaign against corruption, and generally enhance integrity in the country.

---GNA