Mr Joseph Akanjolenur Whittal, CHRAJ Commissioner, told the Ghana News Agency in Accra that the development of NACAP was an unqualified contribution to the fight against corruption and the promotion of national development.

He said the Commission’s renewed vigor to fight corruption hinges on the strength of the NACAP wrapped-up in its action plans, which were directly integrated into national development planning.

It also makes the fight against corruption an integral part of the regular annual activities of public institutions including the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).  Mr Whittal described corruption as an insidious plague that has a wide range of corrosive effects on societies…“the Commission would empower all other strategic stakeholders for a mass movement against corruption”.

Meanwhile the profile of the new CHRAJ Commission obtained by the Ghana News Agency indicates that Mr Whittal was appointed CHRAJ Commissioner in December 2016. From 2012 to December 2016 he was the Deputy CHRAJ Commissioner and served as a Member of the Governing Council of the Commission responsible for policy formulation and implementation and the strategic direction of the Commission as an Independent Constitutional Body (ICB)

As a Deputy Commissioner he also had oversight responsibility over the Legal Department; Human Rights Department; Administrative Justice Department; Investigations Department and the Legal Registry and Complaints Units

Mr Whittal was responsible for the final approval and release of all Decisions after investigations by the core Departments – Human Rights, Anti-corruption and Administrative Justice as well as the draft decisions of the ten Regional Directors

He was also responsible for coordinating International Cooperation with International Human Rights Organizations such as United Nations Special Procedures and Mechanisms.  The CHRAJ Commissioner also served as a UN Special Rapporteurs on thematic issues; Treaty-based Committees, preparation of the Commission’s Independent Report on the Universal Periodic Report (UPR) to the Human Rights Council (HRC); the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) of national human rights institutions; the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Responsible for coordinating Regional Cooperation with the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR); African Court on Human Rights; ECOWAS Community Court; The Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI) and bilateral relations with other National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs)

Responsible for coordinating International Cooperation with the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI); the African Ombudsman and Mediators Association (AOMA) and bilateral relations with other Ombudsman Institutions

He was a member of the Working Group (WG) appointed by the President of the Republic to develop the NACAP as the blueprint for fighting corruption in Ghana. It has since been developed and adopted by Parliament and being implemented.

Presently, he is heading the team working to develop a National Human Rights Action Plan (NAHRAP) as the overarching blueprint for the promotion and protection of human rights on a systematic basis in the country. A baseline study report of the human rights situation in Ghana has been produced and is currently being studied by the team to inform the Action Plan.He represents the Commission as the Implementing Partner (IP) and Chair of the Governance Cluster of UNDP support under UNDAF 10

Mr Whittal continues to engage within and outside Ghana on any of the triple mandates of the Commission: Human rights, anti-corruption and administrative justice as well as on governance issues generally.