NCCE urges youth leaders to champion ethical leadership against corruption

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has called on students and youth leaders to uphold ethical values, transparency and accountability in their leadership roles to help combat corruption.

According to the Commission, the fight against corruption must begin at the grassroots level, particularly among young people, to nurture a generation of leaders who are fair, honest and responsible in their dealings.

The Northern Regional Director of the NCCE, Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed, made the call during a Youth Leadership Empowerment Dialogue Session on the Fight Against Corruption organised by the Commission with support from the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and the European Union (EU) in Tamale.

He stressed that corruption could only be effectively addressed when young people consciously embraced ethical, just and honest behaviour in schools, communities and other spheres of influence.

"The fight against corruption starts with the youth. If the young generation positions itself on the path of ethical leadership, transparency and accountability, we can build a society that rejects corruption and upholds integrity," he said.

Mr Mohammed explained that the programme sought to instil discipline and equip youth leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to promote good governance and democratic participation.

"If you are a leader at the youth level, are you just and ethical? We are encouraging them to practise ethical leadership from the positions they currently occupy. Leadership begins now, not in the future," he said.

Mr Mohammed observed that although Ghana's democratic system had recorded significant gains over the years, corruption and self-interest continued to threaten the country's governance structures.

"Our democracy is yielding dividends, but corruption remains a major challenge that can derail these gains if not addressed," he cautioned.

He urged young people to recognise that the future of the country largely rested in their hands and challenged them not to repeat the mistakes of previous generations.

"The future belongs to the youth. If the older generation has failed in certain respects, the youth must not fail. The journey towards becoming responsible future leaders begins with how they conduct themselves today," he said.

Some participants who shared their views during the workshop said the older generation had, in many respects, failed the youth through unfulfilled promises and an inability to uphold the values they profess.

According to them, the absence of strong ethical leadership had contributed to corruption, selfishness, injustice and a lack of transparency and accountability in governance and public service.

Source: graphic