In the face of widespread criticism about numerous cases of possible corruption under his tenure, President Akufo-Addo has stated that combating corruption has been the cornerstone of his administration.
According to him, corruption thrives in environments where it can be concealed, and that access to information is crucial in fighting it.
He noted that to address this, his government ensured the passage of the Right to Information Act (RTI) 2019, ACT 989, during its first term.
President Akufo-Addo said the legislation aims to give practical effect to Article 21, clause 1(f) of the constitution, thereby promoting transparency and accountability.
Speaking at the commissioning of ‘The Law House’ project on June 10, he said, “the Act which successive governments failed to pass, see to the implementation of the constitutional right to information held by public institutions to foster the culture of transparency and accountability in public affairs subject to exemptions necessary and consistent with the protection of the public interest in a democratic society, the Act is now fully implemented with the governing board chaired by an experienced and respected retired high court judge”.
The President said the Ministry of Information has trained information officers across various government ministries, departments, and agencies to ensure the full implementation of the Right to Information law.
He also highlighted that in 2018, Parliament passed the Witness Protection Act, Act 975, which he signed into law on August 24th of the same year.
“The Act establishes a witness protection agency to create a witness protection scheme as a vehicle for offering protection to persons who are required to corporate with law enforcement agencies as witness in the investigation and prosecution of cases particularly corruption cases affecting public officers,” he noted.
President Akufo-Addo also described as unfortunate suggestions that he is only interested in clearing his appointees accused of corruption, insisting that as a respecter of the rule of law, he has only ensured that cases are fairly investigated in order to avoid a miscarriage of justice.
He particularly singled out the 2024 flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Mahama, for tagging him as a clearing agent.
About The Law House project
The Law House project, initiated in 2001, was originally slated for completion in May 2004. However, it faced delays, leading to its termination and subsequent re-awarding on January 10, 2023, with final completion achieved in June 2024.
The project spanned the administrations of four presidents: John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills, John Dramani Mahama, and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Initially planned as an eight-story office building, the project was later revised to a ten-story structure with a two-level basement.
The final design includes conference rooms, 130 office spaces, 120 parking lots, an eating area, and various other facilities, significantly enhancing its capacity and functionality.