Former Director of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) has bemoaned what he says is a culture of lack of candour creeping into Ghana's public space.

Prof Stephen Adei said the president, John Dramani Mahama, ministers of state, public officials and the media all engage in lying to Ghanaians.

"I said the president, minister and everyone are lying. This country seems to be getting a culture of lying to each other and the media unfortunately are spearheading it.

"It is not only the president. There is too much lack of candour in our system and it is hurting us," he told Joy News' Francis Abban in an interview.

Citing President John Mahama's comment on the economy, Prof Adei said it was clearly wrong for the president to claim that Ghana's economy is doing well.

"Everyone on the street knows that the economy is not in a good shape...We cannot be told that things are easy when things are hard," he stated.

He said the country's leaders must stop the lying to the people if they have any intention of developing the country.

In a reaction, a deputy Information Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the comments by Prof Adei were unfortunate and were not a reflection of government character.

He said the president cannot be said to be telling lies when he says "we are facing short term economic challenges but the mid-term prospects are bright."

"I do not believe that if the president says this he can be accused of having peddled lies or having failed to be candid with the people of Ghana.

"I don't know of any situation where any government official or mnister has said we face no challenge as a country," he noted.

He said it is not the business of government spokespersons to be lamenting about problems and challenges; they must rather spell out what is being done to resolve the challenges facing the nation.