We remain committed to fighting corruption - Govt

The government remains committed to fighting corruption, especially in the public sector, the Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has assured.

He said the government had demonstrated that by the increased budgetary allocation to anti-graft agencies such as the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice; the Auditor-General’s Department and the Office of the Special Prosecutor, among other agencies.

Addressing journalists at the government’s first ministerial press briefing in Accra last Sunday, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said the appointment of Mr Martin Amidu by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was a clear indication of the government’s resolve to fight and uproot corruption.

“Thorough investigations have also been conducted on all corruption allegations against appointees under this administration by the relevant institutions.

The government has also instituted some measures to minimise corrupt tendencies. They include digitisation of processes at the ports, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, Passport Office among others,” he said.

CPI Report

Mr Oppong Nkrumah said the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) report by Transparency International had established that corruption had declined in the country.

He pointed out that a critical look at the CPI report made the opposition National Democratic Congress’s (NDC’s) assertion that the government had failed in fighting corruption laughable.

He said the report assessed the perceptions of corruption across the country from 2015 to 2019.

“Interestingly, it means it captured the first three years of former President John Mahama’s government (NDC) and also captured two-and-half years of President Akufo-Addo’s government.

“And from the report, corruption has declined significantly in the country in all the spheres the corruption survey assesses. All the indicators have improved drastically,” he said.

He said areas considered by the survey included bribery rates and corruption by institutions, and in all the categories, the citizens’ perceptions of corruption had declined significantly since 2015.

Citizen empowerment

“In fact, the report suggests that under President Akufo-Addo’s government, citizens feel more empowered that they can make a difference in the fight against corruption.

The percentage moved from 53 per cent in 2015 to 60 per cent in 2019,” Mr Oppong Nkrumah said.

He said apart from that, the report established that citizens felt empowered under the current government to fight corruption and acknowledged that the government was empowered and motivated to fight corruption.

He cited for instance that whereas in 2019, 60 per cent of Ghanaians felt that the government was doing a good job in fighting corruption, only 25 per cent of Ghanaians in 2015 indicated that the government was doing a good job in that regard.

“Bribe taking was rampant even in the sensitive public clinics and health centres in 2015 rated at 17 per cent, while by 2019, it had declined to 12 per cent,” he said.

Writer’s email: doreen.andoh@graphic.com.gh