Ghanaians demand stronger action against corruption

 The Center for Democratic De­velopment, Ghana (CDD-Ghana) has held a dissemination forum in Accra to share findings from its town hall meetings on citizens’ expectations of the new government.

The meetings, held across 12 regions be­tween February and March 2025, revealed that many Ghanaians wanted stronger action against corruption, better account­ability systems, and reforms in political leadership.

Addressing the forum yesterday, the CDD-Ghana’s Director of Policy Engage­ment and Partnership, Dr Kojo Asante, noted that the town hall meetings tackled a range of pressing national issues including local government, constitutional review, anti-corruption, the cost of politics, edu­cation, state-owned enterprises, electoral reforms, the economy, youth among others.

“Participants called for strong measures to fight corruption, including reforms to the Council of State and clearer separation of powers between Members of Parlia­ment and ministers,” he said.

According to him, citizens expressed support for electing Municipal, Metropoli­tan, and District Chief Executives (MMD­CEs) to make local governance more accountable.

“Concerns were also raised about the high cost of politics, with calls for reforms to make it more transparent and afford­able,” he said.

In education, Dr Asante said citizens demanded better funding for primary schools, improved teaching in rural areas, and fixes to the free SHS programme before any expansion.

For his part, the Deputy Chief of Staff (Administration), Ms Nana Oye Bampoe, said the report should serve as a guide for government performance reviews and policy reforms.

She stressed the importance of peo­ple-centered governance and called for feedback mechanisms to be a permanent part of Ghana’s democracy.

Ms Bampoe praised the government’s steps to fight corruption, citing the launch of “Operation Recover All Loot” as a strong example of responding to public demands for integrity and justice.

“The government takes this data serious­ly and will continue to work with civil soci­ety to ensure that our governance process­es are not only inclusive but accountable and effective,” she said.

She also highlighted key engagements by President John Dramani Mahama since assuming office, such as the National Economic Dialogue, the National Educa­tion Consultative Forum, and the “Kwahu Business Forum “.

“These events are strategic platforms to bring citizens into policymaking and to keep governance transparent and re­sults-oriented,” she said.

She was optimistic that government and its partners consider the findings seriously and use them to shape policies that reflect the needs and expectations of Ghanaians.

Speaking on behalf of the British High Commissioner, the Head of the Political and Governance Team at Foreign, Com­monwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Mr Hooman Nouruzi, praised the initiative for amplifying the voices of citizens in remote areas.

He noted that democracy was not only about elections but also about active public participation in decision-making.

Mr Nouruzi said the UK’s support through the Ghana Governance Pro­gramme was part of its commitment to deepen democracy and promote effective governance.

 BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG

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