My Fight Against Corruption Better Than Nana Addo – Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama says his government performed better in the fight against corruption than the Akufo -Addo government which has been bedevilled with several allegations against some state appointees.

He described Nana Akufo-Addo’s presidency as a clearing-house for scandals involving government appointees.

There have been several cases of alleged corruption in the administration of Nana Akufo-Addo, but in most cases, people have been cleared after a probe.

In some cases, some officials have been removed from their positions, and others have been generally ignored as lacking merit.

But speaking on Accra-based, Radio Gold Mr. Mahama said the President has failed to deal decisively with his ministers and heads of state institutions accused of complicity in corrupt acts.

“Let us use the proper indicator for measuring corruption, which is the Transparency Corruption Index, our performance as a government has been far better than this government. We achieved the highest score of 47, and when we left the office, we had 43. In 2017, we went down to 40, and now we have come to 41 – just a one-point increase and the government says we should pat them on the back for a one-point increase?”

“In the short space of two years, you can see their scandals. At a point it was a scandal a week. The President himself has become a clearing house for his appointees. When they fall short or anything happens, he clears them and says there is nothing in it”, he added.

On corruption; no serious evidence against my appointees so far – Nana Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reiterated that members of his administration will be subjected to thorough scrutiny if found culpable of corrupt practices, adding that so far, there hasn't been any serious evidence against anyone.

Nana Akufo Addo said high office holders in the country must be accountable to the citizenry.

“We have to make an example, we who are in office in Ghana, so that if allegations are made and evidence is given to suggest that members of my administration are indulging in corrupt acts,…I see to it that it is investigated. So far investigations have not yielded any serious evidence but it is important that it is known that people in my administration will themselves be subject to scrutiny if they go off schedule, so I believe it is those two things. First of all the institutional arrangement, which the office is all about and secondly the attitudes of me and those in government about the attitudes of corruption.”

We can't eradicate corruption – Auditor General

Corruption can never be eliminated in Ghana, but it can be reduced.

According to the Auditor General, Daniel Domelevo, the canker can only be managed and reduced but not eradicated.

Mr. Domelovo said although the laws of the country recommend “eradication” of corruption, it is virtually impossible to achieve such a feat because it permeates every fibre of the Ghanaian society including churches.

“Under the directive principles of state policy in our constitution, the state is required to eradicate corruption and abuse of power. I did some small exercise of checking what is the meaning of eradicating corruption and I saw eliminate entirely and I said in Ghana it can never happen. Some said destroy completely, I said the same thing, it can never happen. I went on and I saw reduce and I said maybe that's what the constitution meant. As for reducing, we might not be able to do it,” he said.

–citinewsroom