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Parliament to insitutionalise National Intergrity Awards to bosst anti-corruption drive
The Parliament of Ghana, led by the Speaker, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin will organise a National Integrity Awards scheme to recognise individuals and institutions demonstrating excellence in the fight against corruption.
The Speaker made this known during a strategic engagement with Ghana’s Key Accountability Institutions (KAI) in Parliament, where he praised their ongoing contributions to promoting transparency and accountability in governance.
Speaker Bagbin emphasized that corruption is a deeply rooted national challenge that cannot be tackled by any single institution alone.
He described it as a “monster” that requires collective responsibility and strong collaboration among key stakeholders. According to him, the awards scheme will not only serve to reward integrity but will also help instill a culture of ethical leadership and public service.
“The time has come for Ghana to celebrate its heroes of integrity,” the Speaker said. “Just as we sanction wrongdoing, we must also recognise those doing what is right. Parliament is committed to walking the talk and partnering with all accountability institutions to make this vision a reality,”he said.
The Clerk to Parliament, Mr. Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, underscored the need for shared responsibility and adherence to principles of justice in the anti-corruption fight.
CHRAJ Commissioner, Dr. Joseph Whittal, also urged institutions yet to join the accountability network to do so, emphasizing the need for unity and resilience in tackling corruption.
The event brought together key anti-corruption bodies including the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), Ghana Police Service, Ghana Audit Service, Office of the Attorney-General, and civil society organisations such as the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), along with senior staff of the Parliamentary Service. The awards are expected to become a flagship national initiative to highlight and promote integrity across all sectors.
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three men believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a 42-year-old man in Wapuli, a community in the Yendi District.
The suspects, Haruna Seidu, Amidu Bandi and Osman Bandi allegedly kidnapped the victim and demanded GH¢100,000 from his family for his release.
According to a police statement, officers from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Wapuli after the incident was reported.
The team conducted surveillance and launched a rescue operation.
On Friday, December 5, 2025, police successfully rescued the victim and arrested the suspects after what was described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
The suspects were later taken into custody and are expected to be arraigned before court.
The Police said the a fourth suspect, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, is currently on the run.
They urged the public to provide any information that may lead to his arrest.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong advocates Bold educational reforms at the UK House of Lords during Global Education Summit.
On November 27 2025, global development leaders, policymakers, education experts and civil society organisations gathered at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords for the Global Education Summit hosted by The Baroness Verma of Leicester and organised by the African British Business Forum.
The high-level event focused on the global rise in out-of-school children and the urgent reforms required to deliver equitable, quality education for all.
Among the distinguished Speakers was Nana Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Founder & President of Women in Sustainability Africa (WiSA) and General Manager of the EIB Network, who delivered a compelling address on the theme “Breaking Barriers: Empowering Out-of-School Children Through Education.”
In her remarks, Nana Yaa who is currently celebrating 26years of Service in the Media, emphasized that education must be viewed as essential national infrastructure, not charity.
Borrowing experiences from her 18 years of empowering women and young people, she presented a strong case on how Africa’s poor educational systems tie into the poor state of its Gender Equality gap.
According to her, unlocking access to education is one of the most effective ways to strengthen economies, empower women and young girls, build resilient communities and drive sustainable development.
She highlighted that each child excluded from learning represents deferred innovation, delayed opportunity and a weakened society.
Nana Yaa noted that the barriers keeping millions of children out of school are complex and interconnected—ranging from poverty and cultural norms to geographical isolation and digital exclusion.
Addressing these challenges, she argued, requires solutions that are equally comprehensive and multi-layered.
Nana Yaa stressed that girls remain disproportionately affected, and investing in girls’ education has a transformative impact across several Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality, poverty reduction, health outcomes and climate resilience.
Nana Yaa advocated for the expansion of flexible, inclusive and community-responsive educational models, such as mobile classrooms for remote and nomadic communities, community learning hubs, after-hours programmes for working children, radio-based instruction for low-tech areas and digital platforms designed to reach learners regardless of connectivity challenges.
She warned that without deliberate action, the digital divide would continue to widen, pushing already vulnerable children further to the margins.
During her presentation, she introduced three major reforms WiSA is seeking Partners for, aimed at reshaping educational access across Africa and beyond.
These are the Digital Bridge for Out-of-School Children (DBOC), the Community Education Stewardship Hubs (CESH) involving local women educators and youth volunteers and the Teen-focused Global Skills Accelerator for Out-of-School Teens (GSA-OT).
She also underscored the need for education systems that support instruction, inclusivity and healing, particularly for children experiencing autism, trauma, displacement or conflict.
Nana Yaa emphasised that emotional and psychological support must be integrated into educational frameworks in order to restore confidence, stability and long-term learning capacity.
The summit concluded with strong commitments from stakeholders to adopt sustainable financing models, strengthen data-driven policies and expand cross-sector partnerships.
The African British Business Forum reaffirmed its commitment to championing innovative, scalable solutions to educational inclusion across the UK, Africa and the wider global community.
