The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has said the latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) authored by Transparency International, and released on Thursday, 23 January 2020 through its local chapter, Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) is a testament of the Akufo-Addo-led government's failure to fight corruption.

Ghana scored 41 out of a possible clean score of 100 in the CPI 2019 and ranked 80 out of 180 countries/territories included in this year’s index.

This year’s score of 41 shows that Ghana’s score remained the same compared to its CPI 2018 score of 41.

Ghana, however, performed better than 37 other sub-Saharan African countries including Burkina Faso – 40, Lesotho – 40, Ethiopia – 37, Gambia – 37, Tanzania – 37, and performed below nine others.

In 2019, while Ghana performed better than Burkina Faso and Lesotho, she could not catch up with countries like South Africa, Senegal, São Tomé and Príncipe that scored better than her in 2018.

Reacting to the score, the NDC, in a statement signed by the National Communication Officer, Mr Sammy Gyamfi, said: "As a man who touted his vainglorious anti-corruption credentials with a promise to ruthlessly deal with corruption when elected, Akufo-Addo has performed way below the expectations of Ghanaians.

"In spite of his sweet-sounding rhetoric on fighting corruption, President Akufo-Addo has still not been able to even achieve the worst ever score of his Predecessor, H.E John Dramani Mahama in the CPI of Transparency International. We wish to put on record that Ghana’s latest score of 41 points represents President Akufo-Addo’s best performance since coming into office, and is far worse than President Mahama’s worst score of 43 points which was recorded in the year 2016 before the NDC exited office."

Read full statement below:

LATEST CORRUPTION PERCEPTION INDEX (CPI) – A TESTAMENT TO PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO’S FAILED FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has taken notice of the latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) authored by Transparency International, and released today through its local chapter, Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII).

These latest results of the CPI highlight President Akufo-Addo’s failed fight against corruption in Ghana, as the country could not improve upon its paltry score of 41 points recorded in 2018. According to the latest survey, Ghana ranked dropped from an already low ranking of 78 to 80 out of 180 countries, thereby achieving the unenviable feat of being behind countries such as Namibia, Senegal and Rwanda in the fight against corruption.

Our drop of two (2) places on the latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI), is yet another dent on Ghana’s reputation and a testament to the endemic corruption that has engulfed the Akufo-Addo government.

This latest CPI confirms the recent Afrobarometer survey findings by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD), that 53% of Ghanaians think that corruption has worsened under the Akufo-Addo-led government.

As a man who touted his vainglorious anti-corruption credentials with a promise to ruthlessly deal with corruption when elected, Akufo-Addo has performed way below the expectations of Ghanaians.

In spite of his sweet-sounding rhetoric on fighting corruption, President Akufo-Addo has still not been able to even achieve the worst ever score of his Predecessor, H.E John Dramani Mahama in the CPI of Transparency International. We wish to put on record that Ghana’s latest score of 41 points represents President Akufo-Addo’s best performance since coming into office, and is far worse than President Mahama’s worst score of 43 points which was recorded in the year 2016 before the NDC exited office.

The above analysis points to the fact that President Akufo-Addo’s talk of incorruptibility while in opposition was nothing but a well-packaged lie designed to mislead the Ghanaian people.

Much as this latest CPI has placed Ghana on the global map for the wrong reasons, it does not come as a surprise to us in the NDC, and we daresay, the vast majority of Ghanaians. This position is premised on the fact that President Akufo-Addo has proven to be the biggest enabler and promoter of corruption since his assumption of office. Contrary to his campaign promise to protect the public purse, he has supervised the most obscene display of profligacy, corruption and wanton abuse of the public purse in the history of Ghana.

Whether it was the PDS scandal, the BOST scandal involving 5 million litres of deliberately contaminated fuel sold under dubious circumstances, or the PPA scandal or the Australia Visa Fraud scandal, the “#12” and “Galamsey Fraud” investigations by ace journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, or the recent Northern Development Authority (NDA) Scandal involving over 400 missing tricycles, President Akufo-Addo has failed to show genuine commitment to the fight against corruption.

Instead of punishing his corrupt officials who have been involved in acts of corruption, President Akufo-Addo has turned himself into the chief clearing agent of corruption in his government and has endorsed, whitewashed and promoted his errant appointees who have been engaged in these corrupt acts. His continuous support for acts of corruption in his government is what has emboldened his appointees to entrench themselves in wholesale corruption, thereby eliciting the consistent condemnation of even the diplomatic community in Ghana.

Also, despite his promise not to run a family and friends government, President Akufo-Addo has in furtherance of his state-capture agenda, practiced nepotism on an unparalleled scale by appointing dozens of his family relatives and friends into juicy positions in all sectors of his government. It is important to note that nepotism is one of the factors that inform the CPI of Transparency International.

Beyond setting up a dormant office of Special Prosecutor who is yet to justify the public confidence reposed in him, President Akufo-Addo has done nothing to fight the menace of corruption. Corruption continues to deprive Ghanaians of scarce state resources which could have been invested in improving their lives. Instead, the money goes to line private pockets of officials of the Akufo-Addo government. This is one of the main reasons why President Akufo-Addo has nothing significant to show for his unprecedented borrowings and the huge financial resources which have accrued to him since he took office.

Clearly, Ghanaians have lost trust in the ability of President Akufo-Addo to fight corruption. The endless list of sordid and sleazy dealings in the Akufo-Addo government, coupled with President Akufo-Addo’s tacit endorsement of same does not give any indication that Ghana is winning the fight against corruption anytime soon.

It is worth reminding President Akufo-Addo that it will take more than empty rhetoric to make a meaningful impact in the fight against corruption. Charity they say begins at home. Hence, he must begin to send the right signal by prosecuting corrupt officials in his government to serve as a deterrent to others. Until this is done, corruption will continue to thrive in his government as we are currently witnessing on all fronts.

The good people of Ghana have a choice to make on 7th December, 2020. A choice between genuine and sincere commitment to the fight against corruption, as against the double-standard scam of a romance that President Akufo-Addo currently enjoys with the canker.

We have a choice to return true accountability to our governance, and there is no doubt that the Ghanaian people will reject this corrupt and nepotistic government of President Akufo-Addo, no matter how hard he tries to subvert the will of the people.

Signed,

SAMMY GYAMFI Esq.

(National Communication Officer)