By Juliet Aguiar DUGBARTEY, Takoradi
Civic actors have called on citizens and public officials to change their attitudes to help drive national development.
According to the group, corruption and mismanagement in Ghana continue to undermine development; and must be addressed collectively.
At a zonal workshop on the Auditor-General’s Report and the CitizensEye App, organised by the African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) in Takoradi, participants noted that Ghana’s institutional and policy failures are “man-made” and can be reversed if citizens commit to doing what is right.
Madam Monica Agu, Western Regional Director of the Ghana Audit Service, urged Ghanaians to bring their “hand, heart and mindset” to nation-building.
“Doing the right things, even in small ways, drives the change our country needs. Development is not the work of a few; but a duty for all citizens,” she said.
Madam Araba Dennis, Executive Director of African Women International, described it as “highly embarrassing” that Ghana continues to rank poorly on the Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.
She stressed that the country cannot continue to allow public institutions to deteriorate “in the name of ‘Aban Adwuma Wosoye’.”
Speaking on accountability, Ebo Barker, Local Accountability Network Convenor, said officials found guilty of embezzlement must not only face custodial sentences but also refund stolen public funds.
He warned against nepotism, favouritism and defending wrongdoing in the name of loyalty.
Madam Roberta Ntim, Director of Performance at the Ghana Audit Service, took participants through the structure and mandate of the service. She noted widespread infractions across state institutions, including embezzlement, diversion of resources and poorly executed infrastructure projects.
She also highlighted the CitizensEye App, introduced in 2019, which allows citizens to report wrongdoing in real time.
To date, she said, the platform has recorded 1,277 complaints ranging from ghost names in schools and diversion of foodstuffs to bribery, corruption and challenges associated with the double-track senior high school system.
She urged citizens to actively use the App, warning that failure to report misconduct allows corruption to persist.
“Every Ghanaian has a role to play in managing state resources and ensuring development reaches its intended beneficiaries,” she said.
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