Ishmael Mensah Blog of Saturday, 4 January 2025
Source: Ishmael Mensah
According to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, he has made significant contributions to the battle against corruption.
The President claims that impartial institutions looked into the accusations made against his appointees in great detail and concluded that they were unfounded.
He said those things on Friday, January 3, 2025, at his last State of the Nation Address (SONA).
He backed up his claim with a list of anti-corruption initiatives he has implemented.
He asserted that his administration has achieved strides in guaranteeing accountability in government operations and fortifying institutional frameworks.
He added that another significant turning point in the battle against corruption was the creation of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
"We have strengthened the mechanisms to improve transparency and accountability through strong institutional reforms and unwavering commitment," said President Akufo-Addo, who expressed hope that these initiatives would continue after his term.
"We passed the Witness Protection Act in 2018 during my first term, establishing a framework to protect people who assist law enforcement, particularly in cases involving corruption. Additionally, corruption was changed from a misdemeanor to a felony by the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Act of 2020, which carries heavier punishments of twelve (12) to twenty-five (25) years in jail.
Additionally, we passed important legislation that has improved our institutional framework to fight corruption and guarantee accountability, including the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the Revenue Administration (Amendment) Act, and the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
"We made sure that every accusation of corruption made against appointees was thoroughly examined by impartial state institutions, which largely rejected them as baseless," he continued.