Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr Clement Abasinaab Apaak, says the government under Nana Akufo-Addo has “woefully failed to restore integrity” in the country’s governance system.

He claimed the President rode on “a deceitful mantra of incorruptibility” to gain power since he has failed to fight corruption as he promised whilst in opposition.

Dr. Paak’s comments followed Thursday’s release of the 2019 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) by Transparency International which states that Ghana, since 2018, has maintained the same scores of 41 out of a possible 100.

However, unlike 2018 when Ghana was 78th, the country dropped to the 80th position out of 180 countries beating African countries like Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Lesotho but not Rwanda, South Africa and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Dr Apaak in a statement, was of the view that Ghana’s worst score under the John Mahama administration was 43, while the best score in the three years of Akufo-Addo’s presidency is 41.

Read his full statement below:

CORRUPTION IS FIGHTING GHANA UNDER PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDOa

Corruption is fighting Ghana under the watch of President Akufo-Addo as highlighted by the latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI). Ghana scored 41 out of 100 and ranked 80th country on the list out of the 180 countries/territories assessed.

Ghana’s worst score under the John Mahama administration was 43, while the best score in the three years of Akufo-Addo’s presidency is 41. John Mahama’s best score was 48, recorded in 2014.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo rode on the deceitful mantra of incorruptibility to the presidency. He promised to fight corruption and to restore integrity in the public sector if voted into office.

President Akufo-Addo has failed woefully in the fight against corruption. The case today is that corruption is thriving with impunity. After winning the election, he has become a Clearing Agent, clearing his appointees alleged to have engaged in acts of corruption: Australia Visa, Cash for Seat, BOST, Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company, Oslo Chancery, KelniGVG, Galamsay, MetroMass, among many others. Of course, when a government is populated by familiar relations, what else could one expect? How can the president look in the faces of his friends and family members in his government and be bold to prosecute them over corrupt conducts?

Under President Akufo-Addo’s watch, journalists who have investigated and reported alleged acts of corruption by government appointees and party appendages have been victims of various attacks and smear campaigns by his party members, MPs, and appointees.

Even heads of state institutions charged with the responsibility to protect the public purse, such as the Auditor-General and the Special Prosecutor have not been spared the attacks. The Auditor-General, in particular, has been the subject of all kinds of schemes and plots. What are his crimes? Doing his work diligently, boldly auditing and making public his findings.

So far neither he nor his party has called the attackers of the Anti-corruption crusaders to order. Implicitly, by his silence, he condones their actions.

The examples of the late Ahmed Hussein Suale of Tiger Eye PI, who lost his life after the showing of the damning #12, in which the President, his Vice and other Senior appointees were mentioned as potential beneficiaries of a deal; the going into hiding by Manasseh Azuri after his 'Militia in the heart of the city' documentary and later Edward Adeti, who exposed a plot to influence a court case by a Minister at the Presidency; the plots and schemes targeted at Domelevo the Auditor General, and the refusal of government appointees to assist the Special Prosecutor with information he has requested for, all underscore the reality. Under President Akufo-Addo CORRUPTION is fighting Ghana, Ghana is NOT fighting corruption.

JM to the #Recue #GO4JM. Indeed the alternative is better!

I remain a citizen.

Dr. Clement Abasinaab Apaak

M.P, Builsa South