The NPP Accustomed To Impunity Perceives Accountability As Punishment

For eight years, Ghanaians lived under an administration that many citizens, civil society groups, and journalists described as one of the most lawless in the country’s political history. The Akufo‑Addo‑led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government did not only rule with an iron fist; it normalized a culture of impunity that emboldened its political actors to behave as though they were above the Constitution.

Arrogance became a badge of honor, corruption became routine, and state resources were treated as personal property. Under this regime, scandals that would shake any serious democracy, such as the theft of over one million dollars from a minister’s home, were dismissed as trivial. Illegal mining, trespassing into protected forest reserves, and the abuse of public office became so widespread that many Ghanaians began to believe the country had no functioning laws.

Lawlessness, in its simplest definition, is the absence of accountability, the disregard for rules, and the deliberate weakening of institutions meant to protect the public. Dictatorship, on the other hand, is the concentration of power in the hands of one leader who suppresses dissent, controls institutions, and uses fear to maintain authority.

When these two concepts merge, the result is a government that behaves without restraint, silences critics, and gives its followers a free license to commit wrongdoing. This is exactly what many Ghanaians accused Akufo‑Addo of doing, creating an environment where NPP politicians felt untouchable because the president repeatedly assured them that John Mahama would “never be president again.”

This atmosphere of impunity extended to the media. Several journalists who criticized the government were arrested, intimidated, or harassed. Notable cases included the arrest of Radio XYZ journalist Kwabena Bobie Ansah, the detention of Power FM’s Oheneba Boamah, and the harassment of other journalists. These incidents deepened public fear and strengthened the perception that Akufo-Addo's government was intolerant of dissent and dangerously close to authoritarianism.

The judiciary was not spared from political manipulation. Akufo-Addo appointed the highest number of High Court judges in Ghana’s history, and under this heavily tilted judicial environment, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) struggled to win cases. Almost every politically sensitive ruling favored the NPP.

While the ruling party celebrated these victories, they failed to recognize that their actions were eroding public trust in the justice system and worsening the suffering of ordinary Ghanaians. By the time the 2024 elections arrived, the anger and frustration of the population had reached a breaking point, contributing significantly to the NPP’s defeat.

In opposition, John Mahama took a different path. He reflected, reorganized, and committed himself to restoring sanity and accountability in governance. One of the most significant steps taken by the new NDC administration was the establishment of ORAL, a specialized team tasked with recovering stolen state funds and investigating financial mismanagement under the previous government.

Today, several former NPP officials are under investigation for corruption, illegal mining, procurement breaches, and the misuse of public resources. However, the NPP, after years of enjoying unchecked power, can’t stand the new climate of accountability. Those who once operated freely under lawlessness now describe lawful investigations as “witch‑hunting” and the arrest of individuals spreading false information as “persecution.”

Even the former vice president, who served in a government widely criticized for impunity, now laments the enforcement of laws that were ignored during his tenure. It is important to understand the psychology behind this reaction. When individuals or groups have lived for years without consequences, the sudden reintroduction of law feels like oppression. People accustomed to impunity perceive accountability as punishment.

Those who benefit from disorders interpret order as hostility. This is why the NPP is struggling to adjust to a Ghana where institutions are beginning to function again. The truth, however, is simple: no society can progress under lawlessness. When rules are ignored, corruption thrives. When institutions are weakened, the economy collapses. When leaders act with impunity, citizens lose trust in the state.

Lawlessness drains national resources, discourages investment, and destroys the moral fabric of society. Ghana’s recent economic challenges, including debt restructuring, rising unemployment, and the collapse of local businesses, are not accidents; they are the direct consequences of years of mismanagement and financial indiscipline. As Ghana moves forward, the government must prioritize lawfulness not as a political weapon but as a national necessity.

A lawful society protects public funds, strengthens institutions, and builds investor confidence. It ensures fairness, restores trust, and lays the foundation for sustainable economic growth. The NDC government must therefore remain firm, consistent, and transparent in its pursuit of accountability. Ghana can’t afford to return to an era where corruption is rewarded, and national resources are treated as private property.

The lesson is clear: a nation that tolerates lawlessness destroys its own future. A nation that upholds the rule of law secures prosperity for generations. Ghana, under NDC or Mahama, has chosen the path of sanity, accountability, and justice. It is now the responsibility of the government and the people to ensure that this path is never abandoned again.

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