Ghana lost the fight against corruption 3 years ago – IMANI

President of IMANI-Africa, Franklin Cudjoe has said the nation critically lost steam to battle corruption some 36 months ago.

His remarks follow the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) petition to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) accusing President Akufo-Addo of collecting a $40,000 bribe.

According to a statement signed by its Executive Director, Mensah Thompson, the President took the money to influence his decision not to fire the Director of Urban Roads.

“In a video documentary which is attached and labelled as exhibit 1, the President is seen collecting a bribe of $40,000 from individuals believed to be related to the (Director of Urban Roads) who had visited him at his private residence at Nima.

“The purpose of this meeting was to influence the President in his decision on calls by his party members to sack the Director of Urban Roads.”

However, Mr. Thompson alleges that after taking the money from the spouse of the Director, her husband continued to remain in office till date despite several calls for his removal from office.

Commenting on the fallout from the alleged bribery, the IMANI Boss said in his assessment of the video in circulation that it had been established that there was a giving and taking but wondered the intent behind the secret filming of that incident.

“Both videos tell 1 story. There was a giving and a taking. The question is why did the giver tape the exchange secretly? We lost the fight against graft 3 years ago.”

There is a pronounced surge of graft gaining roots under this regime, despite the President’s hardline on the anti-corruption fight.

Ghana’s first-ever Special Prosecutor recently threw in the towel citing lack of support from the NPP government. He insisted the future is bleak and has no confidence that the corruption fight will be any better in the President’s next term of office.

There is a litany of enactments good enough to embattle corruption but no significant progress has been made to minimize the canker.

---kasapafm