John Dramani Mahama, former President of Ghana
Former President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his call for the ruling New Patriotic Party, NPP, to be ousted when the next elections are held in 2024.
According to him, that is the only viable route through which rampant corruption and economic mismanagement can be halted and by so doing protecting the public purse.
Speaking during a National Democratic Congress’ Professionals Forum event on the State of The Economy at the University of Ghana on Monday, September 6, the NDC flagbearer in the 2020 polls gave detailed a diagnosis of what was ailing the economy, an economy he said was in Intensive Care Unit.
Throughout his speech, Mahama used the word “corruption” four times, referencing its unprecedented levels, the nonchalance of the president to fight it, and twice reiterating its effect on development.
What Mahama said about corruption
“Another major problem has been the unprecedented levels of corruption and the total lack of accountability and prudence in the handling of the public purse.
“According to the Auditor General, financial irregularities within the public sector shot up from about GHS700 million in 2016 to GHS12 billion in 2020.
“This level of leakage will definitely affect the ability of any government to deliver on its mandate and guarantee citizens an appreciable standard of living. The nonchalance and total unwillingness to address corruption in government is a major worry and will continue to affect our economic fortunes until the trend stops.
“When I called for a change in government in 2024 as the first step towards halting this haemorrhage of badly needed resources through corruption and holding offending officials to account, our friends in government took offence but it remains the only viable way to save the public purse in the face of abundant evidence that nothing will be done about the situation.
“Mounting unemployment, affecting millions of our youth, ever-declining quality of education, problems with healthcare and agriculture, decaying infrastructure, corruption, weakening and politicization of state institutions, insecurity and unreliable public services continue to make life very difficult for the average Ghanaian.”
Government rebuts Mahama’s corruption claims
Government and the ruling party have been in defensive mode recently rebutting allegations of corruption and economic mismanagement hurled at them by former President John Dramani Mahama.
Mahama jabbed the government during his Thank You tour of the northern regions a fortnight ago eliciting a myriad of responses from the NPP and government.
A recent CDD Ghana survey revealed that most Ghanaians do not believe that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has the capacity in dealing with the corruption menace in the country.
The 2400 adult respondents for the research which was carried out between May 3 to June 3 across the 16 regions of Ghana stated that, they are also less optimistic about the administration’s ability to reduce crime.