President Akufo-Addo says his administration has superintended stringent measures aimed at eradicating corruption in Ghana.
These measures, he noted, have been implemented through significant upgrades in the legal administration system, which are already producing results.
“We’ve also taken strong, systemic steps to combat corruption, rooted in a holistic program of legislative, administrative, financial and technological reforms. We’ve established the Office of the Special Prosecutor, a critical institution in the fight against corruption, and we’ve provided them with the necessary tools to prosecute those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the Ghanaian people,” he said on Monday, September 9, 2024.
According to him, “During my first term in office, Parliament passed the Witness Protection Act in 2018 which I signed in law to create a witness protection scheme for individuals cooperating with law enforcement, especially in corruption cases.”
He made these remarks at the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) conference in Kumasi.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has been widely criticized for its failure in the fight against corruption.
Critics, civil society organizations, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), and a section of Ghanaians have raised concerns about the impact of this issue on national development.
But Nana Akufo-Addo recounted the passage of the Critical Offences Amendment Act of 2020 which “elevated corruption from a misdemeanour to a felony with harsher sentences of 12 to 25 years in prison.”
“In addition, my administration has driven the passage of several key laws that bolster the state’s ability to fight corruption.”
He believes these frameworks among others have “strengthened the institutional framework to combat corruption and ensure accountability.”
“Administratively, a series of other far-reaching measures have been undertaken by my government to help in the fight against corruption” President Akufo-Addo aadded.
Source: Kenneth Awotwe Darko
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