Transparency International Ghana’s Executive Director, Mary Addah, has issued a pointed challenge to ordinary Ghanaians: stop sitting on the sidelines while corruption eats away at the nation’s progress.
Addah delivered the charge at the public forum and closing ceremony of the 8th Next Generation Investigative Journalism Fellowship, where she stressed that the battle against graft demands fresh thinking and shared responsibility across society.
“Let us not sit aloof and watch others destroy Ghana. We must continue to explore and embrace innovative ways of fighting corruption,” she declared, framing the fight as one that cannot succeed through silence or detachment.
For Addah, government agencies alone cannot win this war. She argued that meaningful progress against corruption hinges on the active involvement of everyday citizens, civil society groups, journalists, and other stakeholders who share a commitment to transparency and accountability.
The message was clear: oversight is a shared duty, not a function to be outsourced entirely to the state.
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Addah turned her attention to the power of investigative reporting, describing it as a vital tool for exposing wrongdoing, keeping public officials in check, and reinforcing democratic governance. She praised the fellowship’s participants for their commitment to digging into matters of public concern, urging them to stay the course in pursuing stories that drive national development forward.
The Next Generation Investigative Journalism Fellowship is designed to arm emerging journalists with the skills and tools needed to conduct rigorous investigations into corruption, governance failures, and accountability gaps.
The closing ceremony drew together media professionals, anti-corruption campaigners, civil society organisations, and development partners, all united around the role investigative journalism plays in strengthening transparency and good governance.
Addah’s comments land amid growing pressure for tougher anti-corruption action in Ghana, with stakeholders increasingly pushing for deeper collaboration, bolder innovation, and stronger citizen engagement to protect the country’s democratic institutions and secure long-term sustainable development.