Ghana is losing fight against corruption – Expert warns – Ghana Business News
Ghana is losing the battle against corruption despite years of reforms, a trend that could erode trust in democratic governance, Dr John Osae-Kwapong, a governance expert, has warned.
He attributed this to weak internal controls, poor enforcement, and growing public fear of retaliation.
“We have laws, we have institutions, we have civil society pressure, but we are not seeing significant results,” he said at the launch of the 2024 State of Corruption in Ghana report by the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC).
“The needle is not moving. We are not winning the war,” he added, describing the country’s attempts as “effort without impact.”
The GACC report, based on surveys, expert analyses, and institutional reviews, revealed that the number of Ghanaians who consider reporting corruption dangerous has doubled since 2017.
Additionally, 68 per cent of respondents said they were unlikely to report corruption due to fear of victimisation or lack of faith in outcomes.
Dr Osae-Kwapong, Project Director at the Democracy Project, said the findings reflected a growing sense of powerlessness among citizens and a failure by the state to implement protective mechanisms such as the Whistleblower Protection Act effectively.
“If people believe the state cannot or will not protect them, they will stay silent—and corruption thrives in silence,” he stated.
He criticised the inefficiency of corruption prevention systems in public institutions.
“We cannot wait for the Auditor-General to detect theft after the fact. Internal auditors, procurement officers, and finance controllers must be the first line of defence. But many of these systems are compromised or under-resourced,” he noted.
The report highlighted weak coordination among anti-corruption bodies, including the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the Economic and Organised Crime Office, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, and the Auditor-General’s Department.
Noting that overlapping mandates and unclear jurisdiction often delayed investigations and prosecutions, Dr Osae-Kwapong called for the legal harmonisation of mandates to improve collaboration and efficiency.
“We have too many cooks in the kitchen. We need a system that builds synergy, not confusion,” he said.
Dr Osae-Kwapong urged greater political will to hold public officials accountable in real time, rather than waiting for government changes.
“Accountability cannot wait until the next election. When wrongdoing is identified, swift action—suspensions, investigations, and prosecutions—must follow,” he stressed.
He argued that anti-corruption efforts must be measured by tangible outcomes, including funds recovered, sanctions imposed, the number of whistleblowers protected, and the use of disallowance and surcharge powers by the Auditor-General.
The report recommended the swift passage of the Conduct of Public Officers Bill and the activation of key clauses in the Whistleblower Protection Act.
It also urged the establishment of an independent anti-corruption tribunal to expedite adjudication of corruption-related cases.
The State of Corruption in Ghana report is produced annually to track trends, institutional performance, and citizen perceptions of corruption, serving as a tool for policy reform, public dialogue, and civil society action.
Source: GNA
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