Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has taken a swipe at the Akufo-Addo-led government, asserting that corruption has flourished under its watch, owing to the favorable conditions it has fostered.

He contended that the government has turned corruption into a buy-and-sell affair, where unscrupulous individuals can pay a paltry sum to gain permission to engage in various wrongdoings that harm the public purse.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony for some newly elected Executives of the party on Wednesday, September 6, he said: "We have never come this low, where corruption in government has become like an American buffet. Eat all you can, only for $10. So once you pay the gate fee, which is an appointment from the Akufo-Addo's government, you enter there and eat everything you can."

"In fact, if you allow yourself to be outdone in the race to amass wealth from the system then you blame yourself," he added.

The Akufo-Addo led government has been tagged as one where corrupt individuals go unpunished due to their alleged affiliation with those in power.

The president has been accused of not walking the talk when it comes to combating corruption.

A prominent advocate against corruption, Vitus Azeem, condemned the efforts of the president to check corruption, noting that individuals must be sanctioned to register government's commitment to the agenda.

“He’s not doing anything physical, there’s nothing on the ground. He’s even worse by way of always trying to exonerate some of his appointees from allegations that he has not even investigated. The best thing as a president is to call the person, and find out what has happened and if there’s a need for a committee to investigate you do that. But the president is the first person to come out and declare the person innocent. That is why he’s called a clearing agent. Apart from using it for a political game, you need to be able to investigate and sanction people that are guilty,” Vitus Azeem said.

Most recent among the critics is former President John Mahama, who in a Facebook Live address on September 6, 2023, said government has misappropriated limited resources and overspent instead of investing in essential infrastructure for job creation and overall development.

“President Akufo-Addo and his administration have failed to address the pressing challenges they have exerted on the people of our country. Misapplying our precious scarce resources and overspending instead of building the critical infrastructure this country needs for job creation and development. Their promises during their campaigns have not been fulfilled leaving the ordinary Ghanaian burdened with the consequences of their incompetence, cluelessness and shameless arrogance.”

“Today, some Ghanaians glorify and make excuses for corruption because the NPP government has allowed it to permeate every aspect of our society. This must not be accepted as the norm. It hinders progress on many fronts, denying our youth many opportunities that could come their way if state resources were meaningfully applied. We cannot allow this dire state of affairs to continue.

“We must all join the fight against corruption, and demand accountability from our leaders. We must not allow corruption to continue to hold our country back,” he said.