Disappointing Start: “Mahama Govt Scores 23.12% in Governance & Accountability after 120 Days

Prof. Isaac Boadi, Executive Director of the Institute of Economic Policy Research and Policy Planning (IERPP), has presented an in-depth analysis of President John Dramani Mahama’s administration’s performance in the key areas of governance and accountability during its first 120 days in office.

His assessment focused on transparency, anti-corruption measures, and institutional reforms, evaluating how well the government has fulfilled its commitments as outlined in the 2024 National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Ghana International Press Centre on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, under the theme “The 120-Days Accountability Showdown: Are We Resetting or Repeating the Past,” Prof. Boadi used a framework based on eight major promises made by the Mahama administration, each pertaining to governance and accountability.

8 promises evaluated

The promises evaluated were: the timely nomination of cabinet ministers, the establishment of a code of conduct for government officials, forensic audits of funds like the National Cathedral and Covid-19 relief funds, a ban on appointees purchasing state assets, reforms in the scholarship administration, purging security agencies of militias, reopening investigations into pre-election killings, and probing the Akosombo Dam spillage.

The first promise, which called for the nomination of cabinet ministers within 14 days, was fully achieved. The government met its target by nominating the complete list of cabinet ministers within the stipulated timeframe. As a result, Prof. Boadi awarded the government a perfect score of 100% for this promise.

However, the assessment of the other promises told a different story. Prof. Boadi noted that while a draft code of conduct for government officials had been prepared, enforcement mechanisms had not been put in place, leading to a score of 70%. He recommended that the government establish an independent oversight body to ensure the implementation of the code.

The administration’s commitment to conducting forensic audits of funds such as the National Cathedral and Covid-19 relief was rated at 0%. Prof. Boadi explained that no concrete steps had been taken in this regard, advising the government to appoint independent auditors to begin the process.

Similarly, the promise to ban appointees from purchasing state assets was also rated at 0%, as no action had been taken. Prof. Boadi urged the government to legislate this policy to prevent further conflicts of interest.

The reform of the scholarship administration system, another key promise, also failed to make progress. Despite an announcement by the Minister of Education in April 2025 that a bill would be presented to Parliament in May 2025, no action had been completed, resulting in another score of 0%.

The government’s commitment to purging the security agencies of militia elements was also deemed unfulfilled, earning a score of 0%. Prof. Boadi recommended that the government collaborate with organizations such as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to address this issue.

The promise to reopen investigations into pre-election killings and related matters received a score of 0%, with no progress made to date. Prof. Boadi suggested that the Special Prosecutor’s office could play a crucial role in moving this investigation forward.

Akosombo Dam spillage

The final promise evaluated was the probe into the Akosombo Dam spillage. While a five-member committee was set up to investigate the incident in March 2025, Prof. Boadi noted that compensatory measures for the victims remained inadequate. As a result, the government was awarded a score of just 5%.

Summing up the results, Prof. Boadi calculated an average performance score of 23.12% for the government’s efforts in the governance and accountability sector. This score, he noted, reflects significant gaps in fulfilling key promises related to anti-corruption and institutional reforms.

Prof. Boadi further stated that these scores would be incorporated into a broader evaluation, which would also consider social and economic performance. He emphasized that while some promises were fulfilled, the overall governance and accountability performance had been subpar, indicating a need for stronger action in the coming months.

The evaluation also pointed out that these findings would be part of a final weighted verdict after assessments of all relevant sectors had been completed.