The Bono East Regional Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has charged the youth to take a more active role in the fight against corruption, demanding transparency and accountability from public officials while promoting ethical leadership to safeguard the country’s democratic gains.
According to the Directorate, young people have the potential to transform Ghana’s governance system by driving institutional innovation, demanding open government, and ensuring that public policies reflect the aspirations and realities of the younger generation.
It added that youth participation in governance should go beyond voting to include active engagement in decision-making processes, monitoring public institutions, and using established legal mechanisms to report suspected wrongdoing.
The Bono East Regional Director of the NCCE, Joseph Kwaku Yeboah, made the call at a
Youth Leaders’ Empowerment Dialogue Session (YOUTH-LED) organised by the Bono East Regional Directorate of the NCCE in Techiman Kenten under the theme, “Youth Leadership as a Catalyst for Good Governance” in partnership with the European Union, GIZ and other partners.
The session brought together students and youth leaders, including participants from the Holy Family Nursing and Midwifery Training College, the University of Cape Coast, Techiman Campus and the University of Education Winneba, Techiman Campus, and focused on good leadership, the rule of law, conflict of interest, influence peddling and the Whistleblower Act, 2006 (Act 720).
The programme was designed to equip young people with the knowledge and practical skills required to promote the rule of law, demand accountability and actively contribute to the fight against corruption.
It also formed part of the NCCE’s ongoing implementation of the “Civic Engagements on the Rule of Law and the Fight Against Corruption” under the Participation, Accountability and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) Programme.
In his presentation, Mr. Yeboah said ethical leadership, transparency and accountability were essential to strengthening democratic governance and sustaining public confidence in state institutions.
He noted that although Ghana had established legal and institutional frameworks to promote accountability, many citizens, particularly young people, had limited opportunities to critically engage with governance issues and understand how ethical leadership applied to their academic, professional and civic lives.
Mr. Yeboah said young people between the ages of 15 and 35 constituted 36.9% of Ghana’s estimated 33.7 million population, representing approximately 12.4 million people.
“This underscores the need for the NCCE to engage young people in decision-making processes in Ghana,” the presentation stated.
Mr. Yeboah identified institutional innovation, radical transparency, inclusive policy design and intergenerational equity as areas in which young people could make meaningful contributions to good governance.
He said young leaders could promote civic technology, improve public service delivery, support the digitisation of public records, spearhead anti-corruption initiatives and demand open and accountable governance systems.
To institutionalise youth participation, Mr. Yeboah advocated removing barriers to political participation, increasing youth representation in local and national governance structures, establishing formal youth advisory boards, and increasing investment in targeted civic education and leadership programmes.
Touching on conflict of interest, Mr. Yeboah explained that it occurred when a public official’s private financial, personal or professional interests could improperly influence, or appear to influence, the performance of official duties.
He said such situations created a clash between public duty and private interest and therefore required transparency, disclosure and, where necessary, recusal from decision-making processes.
Mr. Yeboah cited procurement and contracting, recruitment and hiring, outside employment and business interests, as well as gifts and hospitality, as areas where conflicts of interest could arise within public institutions.
He stressed the need for public officials to declare their private interests and abstain from discussions or decisions in which they had a personal interest.
Mr. Yeboah also drew attention to Article 286 of the 1992 Constitution, which requires specified public office holders to submit written declarations of their property, assets and liabilities.
On influence peddling, he described it as the illegal or unethical use of personal connections, perceived influence or political power to obtain unfair favours, contracts or other advantages in exchange for money, gifts or benefits.
He said the practice could manifest itself through manipulation of public procurement, licensing and permits, political favours and employment arrangements.
According to him, influence peddling and abuse of office could undermine merit-based decision-making and erode public confidence in state institutions.
Mr. Yeboah therefore urged young people to reject practices that promoted favouritism and instead champion fairness, merit and integrity in their communities, institutions and future workplaces.
He also educated participants on the Whistleblower Act, 2006 (Act 720), which provides a legal framework for individuals to disclose information about unlawful or unethical conduct while offering protection against victimisation.
Mr. Yeboah said the law covered improprieties including economic crime, breaches of legal obligations, miscarriage of justice, mismanagement or misuse of public resources, environmental degradation and threats to public health or safety.
He explained that protected disclosures must be made in good faith through designated channels, including the police, Attorney-General, Auditor-General, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), a Member of Parliament, a District Assembly member, a Minister of State and the Office of the President, among other institutions specified under the law.
Mr. Yeboah said whistleblowers were protected against victimisation, including dismissal or suspension, denial of promotion, harassment, intimidation, forced transfers and discriminatory treatment.
He further explained that a whistleblower who suffered victimisation could lodge a complaint with CHRAJ, which could order remedies including reinstatement, reversal of transfers and payment of compensation or rewards.
Mr. Yeboah urged the youth to understand their civic rights and responsibilities and use the appropriate legal and institutional mechanisms to demand accountability.
He said empowering young people with knowledge of governance, anti-corruption laws and accountability mechanisms would help build a generation capable of championing integrity, transparency and responsible citizenship.
On his part, the Chairman of the Bono East Regional Peace Council, Rev. Prince Owusu Essekou, described the rule of law and ethical leadership as the bedrock of a fair, peaceful and prosperous society.
He said that while the rule of law provided the legal framework that told citizens and institutions what they must do, ethical leadership provided the moral framework that inspired people to do what they ought to do.
Rev. Essekou said the rule of law was built around four universal principles, including accountability, just law, open government, and accessible and impartial justice.
He explained that accountability required government and private actors to be answerable under the law, while just law demanded that laws be clear, publicised, stable and applied equally.
Rev. Essekou said just laws must also protect human rights, property, contractual and procedural rights.
On open government, Rev. Essekou said the processes through which laws were adopted, administered, adjudicated and enforced must be accessible, fair and efficient.
He said citizens must be able to obtain information on how government managed public resources and have opportunities to collaborate with public officials to improve the rule of law.
He also stressed the need for citizens to be able to lodge complaints against government without fear of repercussions, while public institutions must respond promptly and provide useful information.
According to him, freedoms of opinion, expression, assembly and association were also essential components of an effective system of open government.
Touching on accessible and impartial justice, Rev. Essekou said dispute-resolution mechanisms must be accessible and affordable and capable of resolving disputes promptly.
He said the justice system must remain free from corruption and improper influence, while police officers, lawyers and judges must have adequate resources to effectively administer justice.
On ethical leadership, he said ethical leaders went beyond merely complying with minimum legal requirements and were guided by strong moral values.
Rev. Essekou identified integrity, accountability, respect and fairness, compassion and empathy as key standards of ethical leadership.
He explained that integrity required leaders to consistently align their words with their actions and operate with honesty and transparency, even when they were not being watched.
Accountability, Rev. Essekou said, involved taking full responsibility for decisions and their consequences rather than shifting blame when mistakes occurred.
Respect and fairness, he added, required leaders to treat everyone with dignity and ensure that decisions were free from favouritism, bias and discrimination.
Compassion and empathy, Rev. Essekou said, required leaders to consider the human impact of their decisions and demonstrate concern for the welfare and development of those they led.
Rev. Essekou stressed that the rule of law and ethical leadership must work together to strengthen democratic governance.
He said leaders who upheld both the rule off law and ethical standards could build public trust, prevent corruption and ensure that institutions and the country operated justly and sustainably.
“While the rule of law provides the legal framework that tells people what they must do, ethical leadership provides the moral framework that inspires people to do what they ought to do,” he stated.
Rev. Essekou therefore urged young leaders to appreciate the relationship between adherence to the law and ethical conduct as they prepared to assume leadership responsibilities in their communities and the country.
According to him, strengthening those values among emerging leaders would contribute to a society in which institutions were accountable, laws were fairly applied and citizens could access justice without discrimination.
Speaking on behalf of the Principal of the Holy Family Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Madam Mary Fakyewaa, the Dean of Students expressed appreciation to the organisers for the initiative.
She urged the participants to put the knowledge and skills acquired into good use and share them with their colleagues and leaders.
