Religious and faith-based organizations have been urged to effectively build their capacities to play the leading role in the fight against corruption in the country.

This is because over ninety per cent of Ghanaians belong to one religion or the other, and the religious organizations stood in a better position to educate their members to be good ambassadors in curbing the corruption menace.

Mr Michael Boadi Okai, Project Coordinator for Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), stated these at a capacity building workshop for leaders of some religious and faith-based organizations in Kumasi.

The GII-interfaith project was dubbed “Speaking, Resist and Report corruption”.

The project, which is in two components seek to focus on building the capacities of religious and faith-based organizations’ leaders, media and civil society organizations to be able to identify corrupt practices, report it and be able to speak against it.

It is funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).

The project aims at increasing awareness and knowledge of corruption by 40 per cent in five years, increase corruption reporting by 40 per cent and also work to ensure that people show integrity and accountability to promote good governance.

Mr Okai mentioned lack of public participation and the implementation of anti-corruption measures, inadequate capacity of religious bodies to effectively play their critical role to fight corruption, lack of awareness of cost of corruption, as some of the challenges facing the fight against corruption in the country.

Madam Mary Awenala Addah, Programmes Manager for GII, called for the speedy enactment and implementation of the Whistle Blowers’ Act to help fight against corruption.