The engagement was under the NCCE's "Civic Engagements on the Rule of Law and the Fight Against Corruption" project that sought to empower young people with practical knowledge on the rule of law, civic rights, legal frameworks such as the Whistleblower Act, and their role in promoting transparency, and accountability.

The project is being implemented in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and co-funded by the European Union (EU).

Mr Yusif Usman, the Acting Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal NCCE Director, during the event said project formed part of coordinated educational campaigns that targeted out-of-school youth to champion the fight against corruption in their communities.

He said the youth were a crucial demographic in Ghana's anti-corruption and governance landscape with many of them interacting regularly with public systems and officials.

However, limited access to civic education left them vulnerable to corrupt practices and unaware of legal protections and accountability mechanisms, he stated.

Mr Usman said the project, thus, sought to strengthen their understanding of the principles of the rule of law along with their civic rights, responsibilities, and anti-corruption mechanisms as essential means for building a generation that promoted integrity and transparency.
He asked the participants to be active advocates against corruption, stating that it was their civic duty and responsibility to speak out against wrongdoing without fear of victimisation.

Madam Catherine Mensah-Asare, Western Regional NCCE Programmes Officer, took the participants through some of the anti-corruption laws including the Whistleblower Act, Special Prosecutor Act, and the Right to Information Act among others, said they had been enacted to empower citizens to fight corruption among individuals and institutions.

She said corruption manifested in forms such as bribery, nepotism, conflict of interest, and embezzlement, noting that it thrived in environments where laws were weakly enforced.
She also encouraged the participants to report any act of corruption in their communities to the appropriate authorities for action, saying; "Together, let us play our roles in ending corruption and related offences in our communities and the country in general."

The event was attended by representatives from the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, religious and traditional leaders, Civil Society Organisations, and youth groups among others.