A study by the Center for Democratic Development (CDD) has revealed that about 64 percent of Ghanaians want past corrupt government officials to be prosecuted.
The 2,400 respondents were emphatic they want the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to retrieve monies wrongfully taken from the state kitty.
The study spanned seven days and was conducted to test public perception about government policies.
The report released Tuesday said there is a growing trend where incumbent governments threaten to prosecute past officials while ignoring corrupt practices of its appointees.
“Most Ghanaians think that governments over the years have been very swift in prosecuting and punishing corrupt officials belonging to opposition parties,” the study revealed.
The recent bribery claim levelled by pro-NPP musician A-Plus against the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff was listed as one of the corruption-related allegations that have surfaced this year.
There is also the perception that some “informal leaders, public and private sector officials” are also corrupt.
But the perception is worse for public officials, the Afrobarometer study has said.
The report came days after Parliament passed into law the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) Bill that is awaiting the assent of the President.
The OSP is the incumbent government’s major response to fighting corrupt practices in the country.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has pledged to rid the country of corruption by prosecuting past corrupt officials.
Although he is yet to give his assent to the law, the Afrobarometer has revealed, a majority of Ghanaians are demanding tougher sanctions against corrupt public officials.
They want jail time, restitution of stolen funds and public shaming of officials found to be corrupt.
Already, about 60 percent of Ghanaians believe the current government has performed “very well” or “fairly well” in fighting corruption.
The study said the figure was “double” the ones recorded between 2014 and 2017.
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myjoyonline
