Professor Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi, the co-founder of anti-graft body Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), has scored the Akufo-Addo government below average with regard to the fight against corruption in Ghana.
Speaking with Kent Mensah on Sunday Night on Asaase Radio, Prof Gyimah-Boadi said: “I think coming into constitutional rule, freeing the airwaves, lifting media censorship have all been an important contribution to the fight against corruption and in the promotion of transparency in government affairs.”
“I like for instance, the work that CHRAG has done in the past [not necessary in the present]. I am a big supporter of the idea of the Special Prosecutor and I also applaud the passage of the right to information legislation.
“I see all of these as conditions where we can sustain and deepen the fight against corruption. I am, however, disappointed, especially in the current administration for its handling of allegations of corruption against its own members,” the co-founder of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) said.
“We have continued with the practice of being more proactive when it comes to accountability for members of the former administration and curdling, protecting and sometimes even rewarding those that are in government today that against whom allegations of corruption have been made. I would like to see in the Akufo-Addo government an example of a Mallam Issah in the Kufuor administration. I would like to see an example of Abuga Pele… I’m yet to see that in the current government and that disappoints me,” Gyimah-Boadi said.
“Expensive jokes”
He said the setting up of committees to investigate allegations of corruption under this government “are shenanigans, those are palliatives. Those are largely expensive jokes.”
He rates the current government four out of 10 when it comes to the fight against corruption.
Prof Gyimah-Boadi said: “I will say four [below average]. Below average because they have performed truly below average. I’ve given you my benchmarks; that like we saw in the Kufuor administration an example of the member of the administration having to essentially pay for his sins against the public purse.
“We saw in the case of Abuga Pele another example of the ruling party paying the prize for his offences against the public purse. We are yet to see one in the Akufo-Addo administration; once that is done I will raise my marks…”
Source: asaaseradio
