GACC Rallies Youth in Anti-Corruption Fight on 2025 AU Anti-Corruption Day
Commemoration highlights the need for accountability, justice, and reparative actions
The Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) has commemorated this year’s African Union Anti-Corruption Day (AUACD) with a renewed call for increased youth participation in the fight against corruption in Ghana. The event was held under the theme, “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations.”
In a statement to commemorate the day, the Executive Secretary of GACC, Mrs. Beauty Emefa Narteh, underscored the devastating impact of corruption on Ghana’s development, particularly on young people.
She noted that the 2023 Auditor-General’s Report revealed over GH¢11 billion lost to financial irregularities funds that could have been used to improve education, healthcare, and job creation.
“Corruption continues to undermine development, deepen inequality, and erode public trust in institutions. Sadly, it is our young people who often suffer the most through disrupted education, limited job opportunities, and diminished hope for the future,” Mrs. Narteh said.
She emphasized that while corruption threatens the dreams of the youth, they also hold the power to transform the narrative.
“The youth are not just victims of corruption, they are powerful agents of change,” she stressed.
As part of efforts to build a generation committed to transparency and integrity, GACC is scaling up its youth-targeted anti-corruption campaign in 2025.
With support from the Hewlett Foundation, the campaign will reach 40 districts across all 16 regions, using schools, churches, community forums, and digital platforms to raise awareness, promote civic engagement, and encourage whistleblowing.
The initiative builds on work done in 2024, during which GACC, through its Local Accountability Networks (LANets), empowered 27,667 young people including first-time voters in 33 districts across 14 regions with the knowledge and skills to resist election-related corruption.
“We are committed to nurturing a new generation of citizens who will lead with integrity and demand accountability from duty bearers,” Mrs. Narteh said.
She called on all stakeholders, parents, teachers, community leaders, religious institutions, public agencies, and the media to support and protect young people as they take a stand for justice and transparency. “It is our collective responsibility to equip and stand behind the youth in this fight,” she added.
Mrs. Narteh concluded with a passionate appeal to young people across Ghana to take a personal stand against corruption by embracing the “3Rs”: Resist, Reject, and Report.
Every year on July 11, African Union Anti-Corruption Day highlights the importance of the AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption. It provides an opportunity to assess progress, spread awareness, and reinforce Africa’s shared dedication to good governance and accountability.
Below is the full statement
Remarks by the Executive Secretary of the GACC
Source : Isaac Kofi Dzokpo
