In a resolute commitment to combat corruption, President John Mahama reiterated his pledge during a #BuildingGhanaTour town hall event in Koforidua, the Eastern regional capital.
Specifically addressing the controversial SML contract, Mahama declared that his government would neither accept nor recognize the agreement signed at the behest of Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister.
This comes as Ghana has scored zero for the fourth consecutive year in fighting corruption, according to the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2023 released Tuesday, January 30, 2024, by Transparency International (TI).
The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the local chapter of Transparency International in its report said, “Ghana scored 43 out of a clean score of 100 and ranked 70th out of 180 countries and territories included in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2023 released today, 30th January 2024 by Transparency International (TI). This marks the fourth consecutive year of stagnation in Ghana’s anti-corruption efforts, as indicated by the CPI.”
Addressing representatives from organized labor, trade associations, and the public, Mahama expressed his administration’s firm stance against corruption.
The so-called Revenue Assurance deal was signed by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) on the instruction of the Finance Minister.
Mr Mahama emphasized accountability for the funds already disbursed under the contract, stating, “For the monies they’ve taken already, we will hold all of them to account.”
Highlighting the urgency of the matter, Mahama remarked, “You cannot fleece a country like this… now Ghanaians are not surprised again; reports of corruption do not shock Ghanaians anymore, because everybody is tired of hearing of the cases and no effort by the government to fight it.”
The former president criticized the lack of effective measures taken by the current government to address corruption, resonating with public sentiment on the matter.
As the 2024 flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mahama’s strong stance on combating corruption resonates with various segments of the Ghanaian population, as they seek assurance and action against pervasive corrupt practices.
The #BuildingGhanaTour continues to serve as a platform for Mahama to engage with the public and reinforce his commitment to tackling corruption for the overall betterment of the nation.
Transparency International attributed Ghana’s stagnation to the deteriorating justice system, which it says is reducing the accountability of public officials and therefore allowing corruption to thrive.
“Under the theme for the CPI 2023 – Corruption and Justice, Ghana’s stagnated score highlights a global trend of deteriorating justice systems, which is reducing the accountability of public officials and therefore allowing corruption to thrive.”
“The connection is reinforced by Ghana’s performance in the Rule of Law Index produced by the World Justice Project, which demonstrates a concerning decline. In the 2015 Rule of Law Index, Ghana scored 0.60 and ranked 34, but by 2023, Ghana’s score had decreased to 0.55, with a corresponding drop in ranking to 61.”
GII recommended the Parliament take steps to lay the Conduct of Public Officers’ Bill to ensure that provisions on assets declaration require verification and come with severe sanctions for non-compliance.
The Executive should urgently take steps to lay the Conduct of Public Officers’ Bill in Parliament ensuring that provisions on assets declaration require verification and come with severe sanctions for non-compliance while GII also calls on the Legislature to attach an equal level of urgency to its timely passage. The Executive and the Legislature must take steps to bridge the legal gaps necessary for the prosecution of selected corruption cases outside our current legal framework. ”
