Ghanaians don't see NPP Admin. as corrupt and tribalistic - IEA

Accra, Oct. 21, GNA - Ghanaians do not see the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Government as corrupt and tribalistic according to a survey conducted by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).

Dr Kwesi Jonah, a Senior Fellow of the IEA, told Journalists at a press conference that the sample size for the survey was 2,000 persons, comprising 100 persons each from two selected constituencies in each of the 10 regions.

He said eight questions asked during the survey, focused on tribalism, political corruption, standard of living, the economy, press freedom, freedom of association, freedom of expression and freedom from arbitrary arrest.

The press conference, according to Dr Jonah was prompted by dozens of calls he received, following an October 20, 2004, front-page story of the Ghanaian Chronicle, under the banner headline: "NPP Government is Corrupt and Tribalistic".

Dr Jonah said the Chronicle story focused on a small part of the Report, adding that the IEA thought that was unfair and was a mark of incompetence on the part of the Chronicle Reporter.

The Chronicle story suggested that the IEA Report entitled: "Popular Perception of the NPP Government," created the impression that the NPP Government had not done well in its effort to reduce corruption and that the Government had done more to worsen tribalism in this country, especially in the way it had projected the Asantehene as if he were the king of the whole of Ghana.

The Report said, "36.6 per cent, representing (732) of the those interviewed considered that there had been considerable reduction in tribalism compared to 24.5 per cent (490), who indicated that it had gone up.

It said 14.9 per cent (298) of the respondents answered "I don't know" on the question whether tribalism had gone up or down; 1.5 per cent (30) did not answer; 14 per cent (280) thought the level of tribalism was the same as it was under the NDC.

The Report said 41.1 per cent (822) of the respondents observed that political corruption had reduced while 21.1 per cent (422) indicated that it had gone up.

It said one per cent (20) did not answer; 21.7 per cent (434) answered, "I don't know", while 15 per cent (300) thought the level of corruption was the same as during the National Democratic Congress (NDC) era.

Dr Jonah said, "I personally think there had not been any improvement or deterioration in the level of corruption and tribalism since the alternation of political power in 2000."

The Report revealed that 48.9 per cent of the respondents observed that the Ghanaian economy had improved with 43.7 per cent saying there had been an improvement in their standard of living.

The Report showed that 73.5 per cent of the respondents were of the view that there had been an improvement in freedom of the press and approximately 70.3 per cent said there had been an improvement in the freedom of association.