Ghana's Age-Old Battle Against Corruption: A Bottom-Up Perspective

The Political Blame Game

In 2025, Ghana's new government, led by John Mahama, wasted no time in making a dramatic statement against corruption. Declaring the former finance minister a "wanted fugitive" for allegedly dodging questioning about financial irregularities certainly grabbed headlines.

This move echoed a familiar political refrain: blaming the opposing party for the nation's corruption woes. While the New Patriotic Party was the target this time, the narrative of high-level corruption overshadows a much more complex reality.

Corruption's Deeper Roots

The truth is, corruption in Ghana isn't simply a game of political ping-pong. Both major parties have faced scandals over the past 30 years of democratic rule. And as historical records reveal, complaints about misconduct by figures in both public and private sectors, high and low, have a much longer history.

Ordinary Ghanaians have a long tradition of challenging the powerful and wealthy, pushing back against abuses and theft long before British colonization. Understanding this history is crucial for developing effective anti-corruption strategies.

Pre-Colonial Power Checks

The Asante Empire, a dominant force in pre-colonial Ghana, offers compelling examples of how citizens challenged corruption. Royal excesses and injustices frequently sparked turmoil, fueled by the anger of both elites and commoners.

One king, Kofi Kakari, was dethroned in 1874 for violating sacred traditions. Another, Mensa Bonsu, faced a full-blown popular insurgency, culminating in his overthrow in 1883.

Meanwhile, the coastal Fante people developed a more formalized system of accountability. Commoner-led “asafo” groups possessed the power to depose unpopular chiefs, sometimes through symbolic rituals like bumping the chief's buttocks on the ground three times.

Social anthropologist Maxwell Owusu described the asafo's "sacred duty to safeguard the interests of the wider local community against rulers or leaders who misused or abused their power."

Echoes of Resistance

While the colonial administration weakened the asafo's power in the 1920s, their spirit of resistance lived on. Decades later, during the turbulent periods of 1979 and the early 1980s, popular uprisings against corruption and injustice incorporated asafo traditions, including war songs, drumming, and other rituals.

These activists viewed corruption as a systemic issue rooted in class divisions, not merely a problem of individual failings. "Corruption... is the product of a social system and enriches a minority of the people whilst having the opposite effect on the majority," declared a leader of the People's Defence Committees in 1982.

The Multiparty Era and the Persistence of Corruption

Although radical perspectives on social justice continued into the multiparty era, they didn't find a home in the mainstream parties. While both claim to oppose corruption, critics accuse them of simply taking turns "controlling the state for private accumulation," as political scientist Kwame Ninsin puts it.

Standard international corruption indices often rely on external assessments, missing the lived experiences of ordinary Ghanaians. Afrobarometer surveys provide a more nuanced picture. In 2019, 67% of those living in poverty reported worsening corruption, compared to 47% of the more affluent. While high-level corruption was a concern, the poor often highlighted everyday bribes related to police, healthcare, and education.

Beyond "Frying Big Fish"

While publicly targeting high-profile figures can send a strong message, Ghana's history of such actions has bred public skepticism. To be truly effective, anti-corruption campaigns must move beyond partisan politics and address the systemic nature of the problem.

A Multi-Pronged Approach

Ghana has a range of anti-corruption laws and institutions, including the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice which handles thousands of citizen complaints annually. Preventative measures, such as asset declarations for high-ranking officials, are also in place.

While progress has been made, bureaucratic inertia and limited commitment remain challenges. This is why many activists emphasize the importance of grassroots action. Ultimately, it's ordinary Ghanaians who know where corruption hurts the most, and their voices must be heard.