On Monday, May 3, 2021, President Akufo-Addo granted an interview to CNN’s Zain Asher. They discussed Ghana’s economic development, business growth, and corruption.
During the interview, Zain Asher asked Akufo-Addo what his government had done to fight corruption in the country.
“One of your important mandate aside from fixing the economy is of course tackling corruption, are you proud the way your government has dealt with corruption, what steps specifically have you made in trying root it out?” she asked.
In his response, President Akufo-Addo indicated that his fight against corruption had resulted in Ghana’s improvement in corruption rankings.
“Am I satisfied that we’ve been effective? I will say yes. A lot has been done, and it has reflected in Ghana’s growing position and rankings of corruption in the world. We’ve gone up several notches since I came into office because we are dealing with these matters at the basic level,” the president said.
But has Ghana indeed improved in corruption rankings?
Fact-Check Ghana has verified the president’s response on corruption and concludes it’s completely false. Below is the explanation.
High Rank on Corruption Perception Index
Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) is the most notable and widely used indicator of corruption worldwide. The annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI) provides insight into how citizens perceive the presence of corruption in public office in a given year.
The CPI scores and ranks countries/territories based on how corrupt a country’s public sector is perceived to be by experts and business executives who deal with public officials and government agencies.
Below is Ghana’s CPI score from 2013 – 2020
| Year | Score | Rank |
| 2013 | 46 | 63/180 |
| 2014 | 48 | 61/180 |
| 2015 | 47 | 56/180 |
| 2016 | 43 | 70/180 |
| 2017 | 40 | 81/180 |
| 2018 | 41 | 78/180 |
| 2019 | 41 | 80/180 |
| 2020 | 43 | 75/180 |
Source: Transparency International
It must be noted that the CPI uses a scale of 0-100, where zero (0) is the highest corrupt perception and 100 is no corruption perception. First (1st) is the lowest rank of corruption perception among of 180 countries
From the Table above, since Akufo-Addo came into office (2017-2020), Ghana’s performance on the Corruption Perception Index has dropped when compared to the previous years. Thus, the perception of corruption in governance is high compared to the previous years.
The CPI indicates that the worst CPI score under the erstwhile Mahama-led government is the best CPI score under the incumbent Akufo-Addo-led government.
High rank on Global Corruption Index
Global Corruption Index (GCI) is another world ranking of corruption produced by Switzerland-based Global Risk Profiles since 2018. The GCI provides an assessment of the state of corruption and other white-collar crimes throughout the world.
The GCI also indicates that the incidence of corruption is worsening in Ghana. The most recent GCI report (2020) indicates that Ghana’s rank dropped further when compared to the country’s position in the previous year, 2019.
Ghana, which ranked 90th in 2019, dropped to 92nd in 2020. Below is a screenshot from the table on Global Risk Profiles’ website.
Afrobarometer surveys show rising perception of Corruption
Meanwhile, data from the rounds of surveys from the Afrobarometer indicates also indicates a rising perception of corruption among Ghanaians about the Akufo-Addo led government. Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan research network that conducts public attitude surveys on democracy, governance, economic conditions, and related issues in countries across Africa.
In the table below, Fact-Check Ghana presents findings from the Afrobarometer on the same questions on corruption posed to Ghanaians in their 2017 and 2019 rounds of surveys.
| Question | Response in 2017 | Response in 2019 |
| Increment in the level of corruption in the country over the past year | 33% | 52.6% |
| Perception of Corruption among President and Officials in his office (Some, Most and All of them) | 76% | 80.5% |
Thus, while in 2017 33% of Ghanaians said there was an increase in corruption over the past year, in 2019 the number rose to 52.6%. Also, while 76% of Ghanaians thought that either some, most, or all of the president and officials in his office were involved in corruption in 2017, the number rose to 80.5% in 2019.
The data from the CPI, GCI, and the Afrobarometer surveys indicate that contrary to President Akufo-Addo’s claim of Ghana’s improvement in corruption ranking in the world, the country is rather deteriorating.
Facts don’t lie. It appears the president is fighting corruption in words and not actions.
This corrupt analysis won’t wash. The mishaps and aggressiveness to which you want to discredit this government is obviously exposing your propaganda spirit of your corrupt estate
It’s obvious you didn’t read the data provided. Don’t follow blindly. It’s not worth it. How do you do this in the face of the facts? Wow…
Are those data presented from mr Azure? Absolutely No.
Pls we re all educated so let’s not allow politics to destroy this country. Remember, it will come back and hit you one day and your generation if you don’t repent and follow the only truth.
It’s very obvious to accord your insight on partisanship and cloud your judgement based on falsehood. Emancipate yourself from mental slavery.
It’s so funny to see you paise him when he was attacking Mahama but now that the coin had change, you want to complain
It is really sad how The Government treat Thg he Peoples over there and the elderly suffering more than anyone. I have friends who are living there they keep me posted on the corruption and mistreatment and high taxes
We have no alternative again than to do away with both NPP and NDC. They have completely failed us.
We thought NPP is coming to do better not knowing they are even the worse.
NPP has indeed discovered a word and and has shown us the climax definition of that word which is INCOMPETENCE.
IN A NUTSHELL, I FORSEE NO FUTURE FOR GHANA, IF WE CONTINUE WITH THESE PARTIES.
For Ghana to be developed, WE NEED A WHITE MAN PRESIDENT. thank you
You said all. The Blackman is not capable to manage affairs. So so sad?
Perfectly right. If only Ghana could have a third force that would be true to what they promise Ghanaians. It looks like our problems stem from our body politics itself, and any opportunity given any party they see it as Avenue to create, loot and share. May God guide us as a nation to set our priorities right.
You were fine until the last sentence. A man’s character nor competence is determined by race. Corruption is global, go see corrupt white men in every single western country. They just have more money to steal so when they do steal and cheat it is not as significant in relative terms. Read the reply below from Ekuabart57g, it will straighten you out.
I think calling a spade a spade and not a big spoon helps. JDM compared to this guy is a Pharoah. At least JDM established sustainable accounting for the country couple with strategy development plans that at a least align with challenges the country was phasing.
Now this government is here with budget increased over triple fold 36/7B in 2016 to 102/6B in 2021 with nothing, no plan but issolate implementation and gangantua corruption. We are simply in endemic situations now and must be spoken at by all loving and patriotic Ghanaians
Sell the country to The Dutch or Swiss Period
Keep yourINFERIORITY COMPLEX to yourself!!!
No one is saying that Ghana doesn’t need fixing – but part of being educated is to understand history .
What one finds is that the nations that you are begging to take over yours went through their own turbulent times for hundreds of years to industrialize and emerge as they are now.
The problem we face is that we are thrust into competition and comparison to these places right now ; side by side , even though we are only 63 years old . What is even sadder is that you obviously don’t appreciate the fact that these European countries took advantage of us and structured things so we have been under their yoke in terms of resource development while we are trying to reach any semblance of parity.
For you to think that “goodness” is inherent in the color of one’s skin is a sad reflection at how utterly corrupted our own minds have become!
Well said.
The current crop of NPP leaders are a disgrace. They are only paying lip services to the people of Ghana.
One of the reasons to be contented with an old man as president is that he may not engage in simple, plain lies but come see our old man in Ghana as president lying to the world.
No court should punish anybody again in Ghana for lying.
What makes me laugh is this statement “MOTHER SERPENT OF CORRUPTION”
The level of corruption in Ghana is unprecedented. The level of waste of public purse is unimaginable. I blame Ghanaians for giving him a second term
Facts don’t lie, reality does not disappoint, Akufo Ado is the worst President so far. But the most corrupt institution so for in this country in fact in this world is DEMOCRACY.