Tackling corruption has been a primary pillar of my administration – Akufo-Addo
Facing widespread criticism over numerous corruption allegations during his tenure, President Nana Akufo-Addo has reaffirmed that combating corruption remains a cornerstone of his administration.
He emphasized that corruption thrives in secrecy and highlighted the importance of access to information in addressing the issue.
To this end, President Akufo-Addo noted that his government passed the Right to Information Act (RTI) 2019, ACT 989, during its first term. This legislation, he said, aims to give practical effect to Article 21, clause 1(f) of the constitution, thereby promoting transparency and accountability.
Speaking at the commissioning of ‘The Law House’ project on June 10, Akufo-Addo remarked, “the Act which successive governments failed to pass, see to the implementation of the constitutional right to information held by public institutions to foster the culture of transparency and accountability in public affairs subject to exemptions necessary and consistent with the protection of the public interest in a democratic society, the Act is now fully implemented with the governing board chaired by an experienced and respected retired high court judge”.
The president also mentioned that the Ministry of Information has trained information officers across various government ministries, departments, and agencies to ensure the full implementation of the RTI law. Additionally, he highlighted the passage of the Witness Protection Act, Act 975, in 2018, which he signed into law on August 24th of the same year.
“The Act establishes a witness protection agency to create a witness protection scheme as a vehicle for offering protection to persons who are required to corporate with law enforcement agencies as witness in the investigation and prosecution of cases particularly corruption cases affecting public officers,” he noted.
Addressing criticisms of his administration’s handling of corruption allegations, Akufo-Addo dismissed suggestions that he only clears his appointees. He insisted that he respects the rule of law and ensures fair investigations to avoid miscarriages of justice. He specifically responded to accusations from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) 2024 flagbearer John Mahama, who has labeled him a “clearing agent.”
“I am sure we are all aware of the statement by former president and perennial NDC presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama, stigmatising me as a clearing agent. For him, mere allegations are enough to merit the condemnation of an accused public official, especially one under my administration,” said Akufo-Addo.
“For my part, and let me state it again for the record, I will not set aside due process and the rules of natural justice on the altar of the fight against corruption no matter how much opprobrium this position incurs for me.”
About The Law House Project
The Law House project, initiated in 2001 and originally slated for completion in May 2004, faced numerous delays. The project was terminated and subsequently re-awarded on January 10, 2023, reaching final completion in June 2024.
Spanning the administrations of four presidents—John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills, John Dramani Mahama, and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo—the project evolved from an eight-story office building to a ten-story structure with a two-level basement.
