Mr Akwasi Agyemang, Managing Director of Global Media Alliance (GMA), has urged the public to speak out, especially with regards to issues of corruption.
Mr Agyemang made the call in Accra when the Ghana Anti-corruption Campaign (GACC), and GMA presented their findings on a campaign project titled, ?Speak Up,? an anti-corruption campaign aimed at educating Ghanaians on the anti-corruption laws of Ghana, especially the Whistleblower Act 720 (2006).
He said during the project, it was discovered that lots of people were unaware that the Act had provisions that protected people who give out information on corruption activities in Ghana.
?This project made us to realise that there is much to be done in the country when it comes to the awareness creation of the Whistleblower Act to our people, because once you put the camera on them, they chicken out, and do not want to speak, for fear of being threatened,? he said.
He said even though the STAR Ghana?s funded project has ended, the GMA would continue to educate Ghanaians on the Whistleblower Act to enable them to speak out on issues of corruption.
Mrs Mary Tobbin Osei, Deputy Programmes Coordinator, STAR Ghana, commended, GACC and its partners for promoting transparency and accountability in governance.
She said: ?Corruption often strives when there is limited transparency, and it is worst when the citizenry do not see the need to ask for accountability.?
She said there is, therefore, the need for more education and empowerment on the subject of Whistleblower in order to empower people to report on matters of corruption to legislative authorities in the country.
Nana Osei-Bonsu, Chairman, GACC, said Ghanaians shied away from giving out information on corruption because they were afraid, and did not know the institutions to speak to.
?We will continue to educate people about the Whistleblower Act because it?s more important,? he said.
Dr Margaret Ivy Amoakohene, Senior Lecturer, University of Ghana, encouraged the media to collaborate more on the fight against corruption.
She also advised institutions to be proactive so that reports on cases of corruption could be attended to quickly.
The ?Speak up? project, an accountability media watch initiative, is a 14-month project, aimed at encouraging Ghanaians to speak against all sorts of corruptions in the country. It is funded by STAR Ghana, UKaid, USAID and DANIDA.
GNA
