Nepotistic Akufo-Addo gov't cannot blame NDC for worsening corruption- Kwakye Ofosu

Felix Kwakye Ofosu Former deputy minister of Information has rejected government's attempt to blame the previous administration for the worrying 2017 corruption perception index, the worse since 2012. Felix Kwakye Ofosu described the attempt as "astonishing in its defiance of logic". The reactions to the release of the report on the latest Global Corruption Perception Index confirmed fears of the Executive Director of Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) Linda Ofori-Kwafo, that the report will be politicised. It was government spokesperson on Governance and Legal Affairs Herbert Krapa who argued that the 2016 corruption scandals under John Mahama negatively influenced the corruption perception index for 2017. Ghana dropped from the 43% scored in 2016 to 40% in 2017. The reasons for the three percent difference are up for political analysis. Felix Kwakye Ofosu believes the Akufo-Addo government wants to "shirk its own responsibility for their own poor performance". He said the report "completely shatters" the Akufo-Addo government which has been "living in a bubble" when it comes to fighting corruption. Although the report blames the failure to exact punishment for the rising perception, the deputy Information minister was quick to point to the trial of government official Abuga Pele who was charged for causing financial loss to the state under the erstwhile NDC. The trial which began under the NDC administration is expected to end Friday when the High Court delivers judgment. But he suggested such concrete steps taken under John Mahama is yet to be seen under the Akufo-Addo government. He described steps government has taken in the BOST contaminated fuel saga, the $2.25 cedis Bond saga and the cash-for-seat probe as "farcical and cynical cover-ups". Felix Kwakye Ofosu also described President Akufo-Addo for supervising a "nepotistic" government after appointing "dozens" of his relatives into government. "It has never happened in the history of Ghana", the Mahama appointee claimed.