Keypoints:
- Ghana scores 43 again and ranks 76th globally
- TI cites weak institutions and politicised justice
- Stronger backing urged for the Special Prosecutor
GHANA has retained a score of 43 out of 100 on Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), keeping the country in 76th place among 182 nations and signalling that public confidence in the fight against corruption remains largely unchanged.
The unchanged score highlights a deeper crisis of trust in Ghana’s governance architecture — driven by fragile anti-corruption institutions, a contentious episode involving the former Chief Justice, and repeated failures by public bodies to comply with Right to Information laws.
Why Ghana remains stuck
Ghana has hovered around the same CPI score since 2020, slipping to 42 in 2024 before returning to 43 this year. The only significant improvement in the past decade came in 2014, when the country reached 48.
Transparency International Ghana says this long plateau reflects structural weaknesses rather than short-term political events. Many oversight bodies exist but remain under-resourced, limiting their ability to investigate and prosecute powerful actors.
Analysts also point to growing tension between state institutions, where agencies resist scrutiny under the banner of autonomy — a trend that erodes democratic checks and balances.
The Chief Justice controversy
A major factor shaping perceptions in 2025 was the removal of former Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Michael Boadi, Fundraising Manager at Transparency International Ghana, said the CPI responds to signals that citizens actually experience in their daily engagement with the state.
‘When you look at the independence of the judiciary, the way and manner in which the Chief Justice was removed was key,’ he said.
He added: ‘Citizens are likely to perceive that the fight against corruption is not making the desired progress.’
Boadi stressed that even when legal procedures are followed, political turbulence around the courts damages public confidence in judicial impartiality.
Right to information and secrecy
Beyond the courts, persistent non-compliance with Right to Information requests has further weakened Ghana’s standing.
Boadi said repeated rulings by the Right to Information Commission against public bodies have fed a perception of secrecy.
‘Day in and day out it is reported that the Right to Information Commission is fining organisations for denying citizens access to information,’ he noted.
‘When this persists, people ask what these institutions have to hide — and that also informs perception of corruption.’
For Transparency International, these everyday experiences matter just as much as headline corruption cases because they shape how citizens judge the integrity of the state.
What Transparency International wants
While acknowledging the creation of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Transparency International argues that the institution needs stronger political backing, stable funding, and greater operational independence.
TI is also calling for sustained institutional reform, including:
better resourcing of anti-corruption bodies
- transparent appointments to key offices
- consistent enforcement of laws regardless of party affiliation
- stronger compliance with access-to-information rules
Why the score matters
A stagnant CPI score carries real economic and political consequences. It influences investor confidence, affects Ghana’s global reputation, and shapes how citizens assess the credibility of public institutions.
Without visible progress — particularly in high-profile prosecutions, judicial independence, and transparency — Ghana risks remaining trapped around the same mid-table position in future CPI rankings.
