Politicians cannot be trusted to fight corruption.

One of the most common subjects in Ghanaian politics is corruption, which is also likely why all of Ghana’s governments have fallen. All of the incumbents’ electoral defeats in the Fourth Republic have been attributed to “alleged” and “flagrant” corruption in the government.

Nonetheless, it is alarming to see that Ghana has not achieved much in the last ten years in the fight against corruption.

According to Transparency International, Ghana’s Corruption Perception Index stagnated at 43/100 between 2020 and 2023 and declined between 2013 and 2023, going from 46/100 in 2013 to 43/100 in 2023.

After soundly beating President John Dramani Mahama, who was running for a second term in the 2016 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo became the country’s new leader in 2017. Running on a platform of combating corruption, President Nana Akufo-Addo almost won the election. Numerous corruption scandals shook the Mahama administration at the time, including the Ameri Power deal, the Bus branding crisis, the GYEEDA and SADA scams, the Ford saga, the debt scandal involving the Woyome judgment, and the Brazil 2014 debacle.

Under President Nana Akufo-Addo, everyone implicated in corrupt dealings was expected to face the full force of the law, and the new administration was expected to safeguard the public coffers. Prior to taking office, Nana Akufo-Addo, who was then the president-elect, advised prospective members of his administration to pursue their financial goals in the private sector. He gained the public’s trust by making this call multiple times. Unfortunately, Nana Addo gained the moniker “Corruption Clearing Agent” after making remarks to “exonerate” his subordinates who were accused of corruption after becoming a power. The state agencies in charge of investigating corruption looked into almost all of Nana Addo’s officials who were accused of wrongdoing, but his remarks prior to those investigations jeopardized their findings.

While the various corruption scandals that shook the Mahama administration remained unresolved, Nana Addo’s government was also rocked by multiple scandals that cast President Mahama in a positive light. As a result, Professor Naana Opoku-Agyemang, President Mahama’s running partner, made a significant statement on the subject during her acceptance speech, emphasizing that those responsible for the state’s looting must face consequences. She brought up particular scandals, such as the Agyapa deal, COVID-19 money, and the National Cathedral, which she called “a multi-million dollar dugout.” The PDS controversy, Australian visas, Kelni GVG, Bost tainted fuel, and the GH¢60.8 billion Bank of Ghana losses are a few more.

Since corruption affects everyone, especially the poor who are the biggest recipients of government services, notably social interventions, it is regrettable that it has become a prevalent element of Ghanaian politics. It is common for politicians and military adventurers to use this problem in order to seize power, but once in office, they rarely take meaningful action to resolve the situation. Rather, they often grow more dishonest and fall short of what they had promised the populace. Additionally, their perceptions of corruption within and outside of government differ.

Why politicians perceive corruption differently when they are in office versus when they are not is still an open subject.

Furthermore, while they are not in power, they frequently condemn state institutions designed to combat corruption and vow to reform them when they take office. But once they are in charge, they often designate their own individuals to these positions in order to shield their unscrupulous practices, gather more riches, stay in power, and intimidate their rivals. Because of this, politicians pretend to trust these organizations when they are in power but do not believe them when they are not in office. Public confidence in governmental institutions has been damaged by this phenomenon.

Therefore, it is a good thing that politicians choose to combat corruption when they are elected, as corruption is unquestionably one of the biggest obstacles to Ghana’s current progress and prosperity.

It erodes societal values, distorts competitiveness, impairs the rule of law, and erodes confidence in public institutions. As a result, it is critical to see it as a serious problem that threatens democracy and needs to be addressed right away.

We cannot, however, leave it to politicians alone, considering Ghana’s track record in the fight against corruption. Strong institutions, openness, political will, and the involvement of the public and civil society in the fight against it are the keys to the cure.

To stop corruption from spreading, we need strong institutions. These consist of unbiased courts, efficient law enforcement, and independent watchdog groups that have the authority to hold public servants responsible for their deeds.

The politicians whose actions are being looked into, prosecuted, and punished shouldn’t control the investigative and prosecution agencies. Institutions would be strengthened as a result.

It’s time to reevaluate the application process for public office. If we are to make any progress in the battle against corruption, meritocracy rather than partisan motivations should be the driving force behind recruiting into public service.

Additionally, the present system for declaring assets needs to be reviewed and made more transparent. Public officeholders should disclose their reported assets and liabilities so that the public can verify them.