COPIO engages 1,673 students in Bono, Bono East anti-corruption campaign

The Centre of Posterity Interest Organisation (COPIO), the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) focal organization in the Bono East Region, has engaged 1,673 learners in a series of anti-corruption sensitization programs aimed at promoting integrity, accountability and ethical leadership among young people.

The engagements formed part of activities commemorating the 2026 African Anti-Corruption Day, observed under the theme, "Scaling Up the Promotion of Integrity and Anti-Corruption Actions Across Africa." The exercise was held at Istiqaama Senior High School in Wenchi, Wisdom Educational Complex in the Techiman South Municipality, Tuobodom Technical and Senior High School at Techiman North, and Nsawkaw State Senior High School in Tain 

The initiative was organized by the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) through COPIO, with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, as part of GACC's nationwide campaign to promote integrity and accountability among young people in schools across Ghana.

During the sensitisation sessions, facilitators educated students on the meaning and effects of corruption, stressing that corruption undermines national development, weakens public institutions and deprives citizens of quality public services. The learners were also introduced to the concept of integrity and encouraged to uphold honesty, accountability and fairness in their daily lives.

Students were taken through the provisions of the Whistleblower Act, 2006 (Act 720) and the Witness Protection Act, 2018 (Act 975), with facilitators explaining the legal protections available to individuals who report corrupt practices. They were encouraged to report acts of corruption through the appropriate channels and become active participants in promoting transparency within their schools and communities.

The programme featured interactive open forum discussions, providing students with the opportunity to share their understanding and experiences of corruption while discussing practical ways young people can contribute to building a culture of integrity. The engagements concluded with participants taking the 3Rs Pledge to Resist, Reject and Report corruption.

Speaking on the significance of the initiative, the Executive Director of the Centre of Posterity Interest Organisation (COPIO), Mustapha Maison Yeboah, said the programme was aimed at nurturing a generation of young people who value honesty, accountability and responsible citizenship. He noted that corruption remains one of the biggest obstacles to national development and that empowering students with knowledge and the confidence to stand against unethical practices is essential to building a transparent and prosperous society.

According to him, schools provide an ideal platform for instilling integrity at an early age, adding that young people have a critical role to play in safeguarding the nation's future. He urged the students to become ambassadors of integrity by resisting corruption, rejecting dishonest practices and reporting wrongdoing whenever they encounter it.

In a message issued to commemorate the occasion, Executive Secretary of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, Mrs. Beauty Emefa Narteh, noted that building societies founded on honesty, transparency, and accountability requires the collective commitment of governments, institutions, communities, and citizens, particularly young people. She emphasised that GACC's youth-centred programmes continue to empower students to become champions of integrity, urging them to "Resist, Reject, and Report corruption" because their voices, actions, and choices matter in building a transparent and accountable Ghana

The African Anti-Corruption Day is commemorated annually on 11 July to mark the adoption of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption. This year's campaign forms part of the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition's 25th anniversary celebrations, with anti-corruption sensitisation activities being carried out in 85 districts across all 16 regions of Ghana to empower young people to become champions of integrity and accountability.