A former Minister of Sports, Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, has criticised Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Ghana for their silence on corruption-related cases lately in the country.

He lamented the frequent corruption incidents involving appointees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, noting the absence of CSO advocacy to address these issues.

Afriyie-Ankrah pointed out that these same groups were outspoken from 2000 to around 2016, and he finds their current silence during President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration surprising.

In a conversation with JoyNews and monitored by GhanaWeb, Afriyie-Ankrah expressed frustration over the rate of corruption cases in the country, urging CSOs to speak out against the government.

“Nowadays, it seems there's a corruption case almost daily, yet what happens? They're ignored. The individuals are exonerated. We lack access to the reports. So, I'm stating that the situation has deteriorated. The same level of advocacy is no longer visible, and the silence is worrying. The CSOs need to do more.

“But I'm asserting that the current state is far worse than before 2000 or even 2016. And considering all the indicators, from corruption watch and beyond, everything indicates that the situation has deteriorated, then one would expect a more vigorous level of advocacy and awareness so the public is informed,” he remarked.

His comments are in response to the recent surge in corruption and corruption-related cases, including the one involving a former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah, whose case is under investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Economic ad Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

SB/AE