Political Appointments Undermining Ghana’s Anti-Corruption Fight – CDD-Ghana

By: Solomon Nartey Tetteh

Programs Officer at the Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana (CDD-Ghana), Vera Abena Addo, has raised concerns about the effectiveness and independence of Ghana’s anti-corruption institutions, warning that political appointments continue to weaken accountability.

Speaking on The Focus on Zed 101.9FM, Ms Addo said existing governance and oversight structures have failed to prevent corruption from escalating into major scandals.

She noted that many public institutions have internal audit units mandated to detect and address irregularities early, yet these mechanisms often fail to function effectively.

“At the various institutions, there are internal auditors who are supposed to check things before it even gets to that level,” she said.

Ms Addo referenced several anti-corruption and accountability bodies, stressing that public confidence in them remains low. She recalled that the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) initially raised hopes of more independent and decisive action against corruption.

“When we had the Office of the Special Prosecutor, most of us were excited because we thought at least there would be an independent institution to look into some of these corruption practices,” she said.

However, she argued that the governance framework of many of these institutions is fundamentally flawed, particularly because their leadership is appointed by the executive.

“You have presidents and governments appointing leaders of these institutions who are supposed to fight corruption. How are you going to fight the same person who appointed you?” she asked.

Ms Addo also criticised the frequent changes in leadership of anti-corruption institutions following changes in government, noting that this practice undermines institutional continuity and independence.

“When there is a change of government, a new person is appointed. Over time, we have not seen these institutions prosecuting or going after politically exposed persons except when there is a change of power,” she said.

According to her, this trend has fuelled perceptions that accountability in Ghana is selective and politically motivated rather than consistent and impartial.

“We can’t keep waiting to hold people accountable only when they leave power. This is what we have been doing over and over again, and it is not helping all of us,” she added.

Ms Addo further questioned the performance of key oversight bodies, including the Auditor-General, citing recent controversies such as issues surrounding the National Service Authority.

“Where is the Auditor-General? Why were these issues not flagged? If you listen to the National Service issue, you just can’t believe how all of this went through,” she said.

She called on citizens to demand stronger accountability mechanisms and greater institutional independence to ensure corruption is tackled promptly and fairly, regardless of who is in power.