President Nana Akufo-Addo has accused the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of launching a smear campaign against him and his government.
The president claims he, his family and his government are being unfairly targeted with corruption allegations.
According to the president, the opposition is merely trying to exact revenge for corruption allegations against the previous government, led by John Mahama.
He was addressing the legal luminary at the Annual Ghana Bar Association Conference on Monday, September 9, 2024.
“I am aware that there is a deliberate, politically motivated effort to portray my government, my family, and myself as corrupt. I suspect it is payback for the damaging allegation of corruption levelled against the Mahama administration.
“The leader of the opposition, the perennial NDC presidential candidate, continues to describe me as a ‘clearing agent.’ I must reiterate that I will not, under any circumstance, abandon the course of due process in the fight against corruption.
“Be that as it may, in any event, I will leave it to the judgment of the Ghanaian public to decide whether it is preferable to be a ‘clearing agent’ or a government official one’,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo highlighted his party’s commitment to the rule of law, citing efforts to ensure that security agencies operate effectively and mechanisms to hold those who abuse their power accountable.
He also emphasized that widespread human rights abuses of the past have no place in a democratic Ghana and that the country has taken steps to uphold international law and human rights.
The president further said his administration has taken stringent measures aimed at eradicating corruption in the country.
These measures, he noted, have been implemented through significant upgrades in the legal administration system, which are already producing results.
“We’ve also taken strong, systemic steps to combat corruption, rooted in a holistic program of legislative, administrative, financial and technological reforms.
“We’ve established the Office of the Special Prosecutor, a critical institution in the fight against corruption, and we’ve provided them with the necessary tools to prosecute those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the Ghanaian people,” he added.
The president’s comments come amid ongoing tensions between the government and opposition parties, with both sides trading accusations of corruption.