Ghana’s drop from 43 to 42 on Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) calls for a decisive and accountable government response.
Development Diaries reports that Ghana now ranks 80th out of 180 countries on the CPI, a clear evidence that corruption continues to fester while decisive action remains lacking.
Since 2015, Ghana has lost five points on the CPI, demonstrating a persistent failure to enforce anti-corruption policies effectively.
Despite numerous institutional reforms and policy interventions, corruption remains deeply entrenched in public institutions, sapping national resources, stifling economic growth, and eroding public trust.
The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), a local chapter of TI, has made critical recommendations to reverse this decline, yet year after year, these calls go unheeded.
If Ghana is to reclaim its credibility, its government must take immediate action.
Parliament should urgently pass the Conduct of Public Officers’ Bill to strengthen asset declaration laws, impose stricter conflict-of-interest regulations, and ensure meaningful sanctions for corruption-related offenses.
Expedited handling of corruption-related cases is also critical. The judicial system must establish specialised courts with the sole mandate of prosecuting corruption cases swiftly and decisively.
Also, strengthening legal protections for whistleblowers will encourage more people to expose corruption without fear of retaliation.
Development Diaries calls on the President John Mahama-led government to act decisively against corruption, as the CPI ranking is not just a statistic but reflects the lived experiences of Ghanaians who suffer daily due to corruption-induced inefficiencies in healthcare, education, infrastructure, and security.
We also urge the citizens, civil society organisations, and anti-corruption advocates to amplify their voices and demand urgent, transparent action from their leaders.
Photo source: Chatham House
