The Centre for Democratic Development Ghana (CDD-Ghana) has urged sweeping institutional reforms to strengthen Ghana’s anti-corruption architecture, warning that the first year of the John Dramani Mahama administration shows both encouraging steps and significant gaps.

In its one-year governance assessment released on Thursday, February 19, the civil society organisation called for the urgent establishment of an Independent Anti-Corruption and Ethics Commission to consolidate the work of existing accountability bodies.

CDD-Ghana recommended implementing the Constitutional Review Committee’s proposal to merge the currently fragmented mandates of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) into a single independent body.

The think tank argued that the present structure weakens coordination and effectiveness in tackling corruption.

It further proposed removing the Attorney-General’s prosecutorial authority over corruption cases and transferring that power to the proposed independent commission.

CDD-Ghana also called for legal safeguards to prevent political interference in prosecutions.

“Ensure that the Attorney-General or any person exercising prosecutorial authority may not discontinue a commenced prosecution without leave of court,” the report recommended.

Beyond structural reforms, the organisation stressed the need for sustained financing of accountability institutions.

It urged the government to “provide adequate and sustained funding for accountability institutions, moving beyond rhetorical commitments to actual transfer of budgetary allocations.”

The report warned that chronic underfunding has historically undermined Ghana’s anti-corruption efforts.

CDD-Ghana also pressed the government to fast-track the long-delayed Conduct of Public Officers Bill.

According to the group, the proposed law must contain “comprehensive provisions on ethics, asset disclosure, and conflict of interest” to close existing loopholes in the governance framework.

The think tank further called for robust implementation of the National Ethics and Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NEACAP 2026–2030), cautioning against repeating the shortcomings of the previous NACAP I.

In its overall assessment, CDD-Ghana acknowledged what it described as promising early signals by the Mahama II administration, including:

• Limiting ministerial appointments
• Launching a Code of Conduct for appointees
• Supporting the OSP
• Initiating asset recovery efforts

However, it stressed that the administration’s flagship “Reset” agenda will ultimately be judged by concrete outcomes rather than policy announcements.

“The test of the ‘Reset’ agenda will not be in rhetoric but in concrete institutional reforms, consistent enforcement, and the political will to apply accountability standards uniformly across all actors in government,” the report concluded.

CDD-Ghana pledged to continue monitoring the government’s performance, noting that citizens who have vested sovereignty in the administration expect measurable progress in the fight against corruption.