In a decisive move to reinvigorate Ghana’s battle against corruption, the government has inaugurated a high-level working group to craft a new National Anti-Corruption Strategy — a critical initiative designed to correct course after a decade of mixed results.
The newly constituted team, unveiled at a ceremony in Accra and commissioned by Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, is expected to propose bold, measurable reforms aimed at turning around Ghana’s downward slide on global anti-corruption rankings.
From Awareness to Action
The initiative signals a clear shift from the first National Anti-Corruption Action Plan (NACAP), introduced in 2014 during President John Mahama’s first term. While that framework successfully mainstreamed corruption awareness, digitised key services, and empowered institutions such as CHRAJ and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), its impact on actual corruption levels remains debatable.
“We raised awareness. We digitised processes. We empowered institutions. But corruption has still deepened,” Mr. Debrah acknowledged bluntly. “Our CPI score has declined from 48 in 2014 to 42 in 2024. That is not the trajectory we want.”
He challenged the working group to avoid cosmetic interventions and instead deliver a blueprint that could truly disrupt entrenched graft networks across the public and private sectors.
“Shock Therapy” for Corruption
Describing the next phase of reform as “shock therapy,” the Chief of Staff urged the team to confront systemic failures head-on and embed moral integrity and ethics at the heart of the new plan.
“This is not just another strategy. It must be a turning point — one that leaves no doubt about Ghana’s commitment to rooting out corruption at all levels,” he charged.
Tight Deadline, High Stakes
The group, coordinated by the Office of the Presidential Advisor on the National Anti-Corruption Programme (PANACP), is expected to produce a draft strategy by August 31, 2025. Its work will be guided by a coalition of stakeholders, including the Attorney-General’s office, CHRAJ, EOCO, the OSP, and civil society groups.
Despite Ghana’s ongoing fiscal constraints, Mr. Debrah promised resource support for the team but warned against waste or duplication of efforts.
“You will be funded, but you will also be held accountable. Transparency must begin with the strategy itself,” he said.
A Renewed National Vision
Beyond the bureaucracy, the new strategy is meant to reignite public trust in state institutions and show that Ghana’s leadership is not afraid to take difficult decisions to protect the national interest.
Observers say this new strategy must focus on enforcement, closing loopholes in procurement, and enhancing whistleblower protections to succeed where NACAP struggled.
As Ghana prepares to enter this second phase of its anti-corruption agenda, expectations are high that this time the fight will go beyond paperwork — and deliver the accountability citizens have long demanded.
