Outgoing Committee Chair cites Suedru boy who returned money as example of character Ghana must celebrate
By Clement Akoloh _Accra, July 27, 2026
Ghana’s National Integrity Awards Scheme must be elevated to the stature of national celebrations like Founder’s Day and the National Best Teacher Awards, the outgoing Chair of the Committee, Rt. Hon. Speaker, Alban Sumana Bagbin has said.
The call was made during the inauguration of the new committee chaired by Retired Supreme Court Justice William Atuguba on July 27, 2026.
“We Will Not Be Giving Tokens”
The outgoing chair said the awards will be held annually and will not be about “tokenism”.
“We will celebrate annually and we will feed our nation with integrity. Integrity cannot be outsourced. It must be cultivated in the home, in the classroom, in the office, in the church, in the mosque, in the market, courtroom, district assembly, police station, newsroom, boardroom, and departments,” he said.
He appealed to the President and all national institutions to support the scheme: “It must become a shared national undertaking. We need a support of all guarded here as representatives of Ghanaian society.”
Swedru Boy Cited as First Candidate
Using the example of a young student from Swedru who found money and returned it to his headmistress, the chair said such acts of honesty must be celebrated.
“Many of you might have read a young student in Swedru who found a pair of money and took it to the head mistress… they did identify the owner and they handed over to the owner and the money was intact. Such a person… will be my first candidate for the consideration of the committee,” he said.
He noted that an international organization had already recognized the boy. “What this boy is going to get will be more than what was in the bag”
“Many of you in your mind when you hear Swedru you think about Swedru in another context. What was the term they coined from there? Sakawa. And this is somebody from Swedru who has done this. Do you need more evidence?” he asked.
Message to Young People
The outgoing chair directed a message to Ghanaian youth, saying success should be measured by character, not just wealth and visibility.
“To the young people of our country you are growing up in the world where success is sometimes measured by visibility, wealth, and influence rather than by character, sacrifice, and service. But the future of Ghana will depend not only on your intelligence but also on your character. Let this scheme speak to you… that honesty still matters, that public service can still be noble,” he said.
“Every generation must decide whether it will normalize moral decline or rebuild public virtue. Our generation must choose the latter. We want to rebuild public virtue.”
The new 16-member National Integrity Awards Committee is chaired by Justice William Atuguba and includes representatives from the Chief Imam, Christian Council, National House of Chiefs, CHRAJ, GACC, TI-Ghana, Parliament, NUGS, Women’s Rights Network and the Diaspora.
The Committee has developed rules and a website for nominations.
Source: parliamentnews360.com
