Stakeholders in Wa Engage on National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Action Plan

The Office of the President, through the National Anti-Corruption Programme (NACP), has initiated nationwide consultations to inform the development of Ghana’s next anti-corruption strategy, the National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NEACAP 2026–2030).

A stakeholder engagement in Wa on Thursday, September 25, 2025, brought together over 120 participants drawn from government institutions, civil society, the private sector, and traditional and religious groups.

Speaking at the event, Jonathan Gador, Policy and Research Coordinator of NACP at the Office of the President, emphasized that the new framework places ethics at the center of Ghana’s anti-corruption drive.

“His Excellency the President, through the Chief of Staff, has commissioned a 60-member group to formulate the new plan to guide us from 2026 to 2030. Unlike past approaches, this time we are emphatic on ethics,” Mr. Gador said.

“If we are able to get people to be more ethical, then we are able to reduce corruption.”

He explained that the plan seeks to “institutionalize ethics and compliance,” with both public and private institutions undergoing ethical certification.

Organizations will be graded on a scale from EACC 1.0 to 5.0, with higher ratings offering greater access to government contracts.

“We want to motivate institutions to aspire to higher ethical standards. A company certified at EACC 5.0, for example, could qualify to bid for government projects above $5 million,” Gador noted.

According to him, the aim is to create a culture where ethical behavior becomes the norm across sectors, gradually reducing corruption by fostering accountability within both public and private institutions.

Delivering a keynote address on behalf of the Upper West Regional Minister, Charles Lwangah Puozuing Esq., the Regional Coordinating Director, Pognaa Fati Issaka Koray, stressed that the fight against corruption is a shared responsibility.  

“Government alone cannot succeed without the vigilance of the media, the advocacy of civil society organizations, the moral voice of our traditional and religious leaders, and the active citizenship of the Ghanaian people,” the Minister said.

He called on the media to “shine light in dark corners,” civil society to sustain advocacy, and citizens to reject silence in the face of wrongdoing. Public officials, he added, must remember they serve as trustees of the people, not masters of state resources.

Mr Puozuing urged participants to ensure the engagement translates into action. “This engagement will be meaningless if, after today, we retreat into business as usual. Let NEACAP not become another fine policy document shelved in our archives, but a living guide that shapes decision-making at every level of governance,” he stated.

Both speakers underscored that the success of NEACAP 2026–2030 depends on collective willpower to say no to corruption, speak truth to power, and build a Ghana where integrity and accountability are lived realities rather than distant ideals.