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CHRAJ handles over 14,000
Cases annually
Kumasi, August 2, Ghanadot/GNA- Mr. Richard Quayson, Deputy
Commissioner of the Commission for Human Rights and
Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), has said that, the body
annually received over 14,000 cases mostly from individuals.
He said that out of the number 11,155 representing more than
76 per cent were resolved whilst 597 of the cases were
transferred to other reconciliatory centres.
Mr. Quayson announced this when he presented a paper on
“Establishing Partnership with CHRAJ” at a day’s Media
Sensitization Programme in Kumasi on Friday, organised by
the Commission and sponsored by DANIDA.
The programme aims among others to forge a stronger Media/CHRAJ
collaboration to enable the CHRAJ to harness the functions
and potentials of journalists to expose human rights abuses
and corruption and also to hold the government accountable.
He said CHRAJ considered the Media as a strong and powerful
partner in creating public awareness on to the rights of the
citizenry.
The Deputy Commissioner said the Commission investigated
cases of alleged or suspected corruption and
misappropriation of public monies and conflict of interest
of public officers among other cases.
Mr. Quayson said CHRAJ handled cases on corruption,
economics, social and cultural rights, adding that between
1994 and 2005, the head office of the Commission dealt with
100 corruption cases.
He explained that, CHRAJ, performed promotional and
preventive as well as protection and enforcement functions
and that most of the cases it dealt with involved human
rights violations and administrative injustice.
Mr. Quayson said the Commission had through its own
initiative evolved cost effective preventative methodologies
reducing the temptations of public officers indulging in
corruption.
He explained that the methods were employed because the
numerous anti-corruption interventions which entailed
investigations and punishment of offenders were very
expensive.
Mr. Quayson asked “Why sit down for corruption to occur
before we use huge state funds to do investigation and mete
out punishment”.
He said CHRAJ needed more logistics and improved conditions
of service for staff to enable the Commission to perform its
duties to the optimum, adding that there was staff attrition
due to lack of attractive incentive packages.
Mr. Quayson urged the public to report any human rights
violations including administrative injustice, economic and
domestic cases to any office of the Commission.
Mrs. Comfort Akosua Edu, Public Relations Officer of CHRAJ,
called on the media to promote pro-active journalism rather
than reactive approach to their work to help foster national
development.
Mr. Gyamfi Dankwa, Ashanti Regional Director of the
Commission, charged media personnel to report on human
rights issues.
GNA
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