The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), in partnership with the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and the African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), organized a media capacity-building workshop aimed at strengthening journalists’ understanding of governance and anti-corruption reforms in the country. <\/p>\n The one-day event, held in Accra on October 22, 2024, attracted journalists from both public and private media houses.<\/p>\n With financial backing from the UK\u2019s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the workshop forms part of the broader project titled “An Anti-Corruption Initiative for Enhancing Governance and Accountability.” <\/p>\n The initiative aims to empower the media with the knowledge and tools needed to intensify their contributions to Ghana\u2019s fight against corruption and promote transparency within public institutions.<\/p>\n Dr. John Osae-Kwapong, Project Director of the Democracy Project and Fellow at CDD-Ghana highlighted the importance of addressing systemic corruption. <\/p>\n He reflected on previous efforts to curb corruption in Ghana, noting that recent Afrobarometer reports suggest that much remains to be done.<\/p>\n “There was a period when we were doing well in the fight against corruption, but in the last couple of rounds of Afrobarometer, you can see that there is a lot more to be done,” Dr. Osae-Kwapong said. <\/p>\n He further stressed that corruption goes beyond high-profile political scandals, drawing attention to conflicts of interest, which often go unnoticed by the public. <\/p>\n “People don\u2019t know that conflict of interest is also corruption, but it forms an act of corruption. So, there should be a law to deal with such people,” he added.<\/p>\n He emphasised the need for laws that address these hidden facets of corruption, particularly within the civil service.<\/p>\n Mary Addah, Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), underscored the role that transparency and public engagement play in the fight against corruption. <\/p>\n She pointed out that citizens’ inability to access vital information hampers their ability to hold public officials accountable.<\/p>\n “When citizens do not have access to vital information, their ability to hold officials accountable is compromised,” Addah said.<\/p>\n She also highlighted governance challenges, such as opaque public procurement processes, which continue to erode public trust in institutions. <\/p>\n “It is time to depart from the top-down approach to fighting corruption… and rather build the capacity of citizens to appreciate the devastating effects of corruption,” she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI have learned a lot, especially about how to report on corrupt issues in the country,\u201d one of the journalists said.<\/p>\n \u201cCorruption is really destroying our beautiful country so having an in-depth understanding of how to tackle it, is the way to go, \u201canother added. <\/p>\n AM\/KA<\/p>\n Watch the latest episode of #SayItLoud below:<\/b><\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/cdn.ghanaweb.com\/imagelib\/pics\/664\/66478213.295.jpg\" "\\"A")
A photograph from the event<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n