The Ashanti Regional Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has empowered student leaders from selected tertiary institutions in the Ashanti Region to promote integrity, accountability, and the rule of law within their campuses and communities.

The initiative forms part of a Youth Leaders’ Empowerment Dialogue Session organised under the Participation, Accountability, and Integrity for a Resilient Democracy (PAIReD) Programme.

The PAIReD Programme is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance.

The dialogue brought together more than 65 student leaders from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (USTED), Garden City University, and Kumasi Technical University (KsTU).

Participants included executives and members of Civic Education Clubs, Student Representative Councils (SRCs), and other organised youth groups committed to promoting responsible leadership on their respective campuses.

Madam Akua Zakaria, Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of the NCCE, opening the session, underscored the critical role of young leaders in shaping positive attitudes and strengthening democratic governance.

She urged the participants to use their leadership positions to promote integrity, accountability, and responsible citizenship among their peers.

Madam Zakaria said respect for the 1992 Constitution and the laws of Ghana remained fundamental to sustaining democratic governance and national development.

She encouraged the students to uphold justice, fairness, and equality in their leadership while rejecting corruption and other practices that undermined public trust and development.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Godwin Ahianyo, Public Relations Officer of the Ashanti Regional Police Command, took participants through the Whistleblower Act, 2006 (Act 720), and the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989).

He explained the legal protections available to whistleblowers, the procedures for requesting information from public institutions, and the significance of the two laws in promoting transparency, accountability, and active citizen participation in governance.

Evans Nunoo, a Deputy Director of the NCCE, who spoke on ethical leadership and conflict of interest, urged the student leaders to demonstrate honesty, transparency, and selfless service in the discharge of their responsibilities.

He advised them to avoid situations that could create conflicts between their personal interests and their leadership responsibilities, stressing the need to place public interest above personal gain.

The participants later engaged resource persons in an interactive discussion on practical strategies for promoting integrity, accountability, and ethical leadership within their institutions.