A 16-Member Volta Region Key Accountability Institutions (KAI) Forum has been inaugurated in Ho to provide a well-structured platform for accountability institutions to respond effectively to emerging governance and corruption risks.
The forum, inaugurated last Thursday, has its members drawn from the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Ghana Police Service, Judicial Service Ghana, Attorney General’s Department, Audit Service and Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
Its ultimate objective is to contribute to systems in which corruption and crime are more difficult to commit, easier to detect and more likely to attract an appropriate response.
The initiative is co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and implemented jointly by GIZ and key institutions in Ghana dedicated to combating corruption.
Inaugurating the forum, the Commissioner of CHRAJ, Dr Joseph Whittal, said corruption and other governance challenges manifested at all levels, including the delivery of public services, procurement, land administration, revenue mobilisation, infrastructure development, licensing and the management of public resources.
That, he said, justified the establishment of the forum.
He said national efforts against corruption could not be limited to investigating and sanctioning it after it had occurred.
“Prevention and early identification of risks must, therefore, remain central to our work,” Dr Whittal added.
He reminded members of the regional KIA Forum that their success would also depend on the extent to which it worked with other stakeholders as well.
Dr Whittal, therefore, urged them to maintain constructive engagements with the Regional Coordinating Council, the municipal and district assemblies, civil society organisations, traditional and religious leaders, the media, professional bodies and the citizenry.
He explained that those stakeholders brought different perspectives and capacities to the accountability process.
The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, in a speech read on his behalf, urged the forum to move beyond cooperation in principle to cooperation in practice.
“This forum must not become another platform where we meet, make speeches and produce reports that remain on shelves; let it be a forum of action,” Mr Gunu said.
He also called on the forum to work to strengthen digital systems, improve audit trails and confront money laundering, cyber-enabled fraud, and organised crime.
The Director-General of NACOC, Major General Maxwell Obuoba, said the functions of the forum were central to the growth of democracy, as they supported the government in the fight against corruption, safeguarded public resources, and ensured the principles of fairness and justice were upheld.
“In a country where institutions are strong, corruption is curtailed and criminal networks are dismantled; where accountability thrives, the rule of law is upheld and citizens are protected,” he added.
