Distinguished Business Management Consultant and the CEO of Ishmael Yamson & Associates, Dr. Ishmael Yamson, has expressed his belief that the level of corruption in Ghana is vividly reflected in the country's economic state.

He noted that almost every leader since the era of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first President, has left the nation in a financially dire condition upon the end of their tenures.

During an interview with Joy News' Evans Mensah, Dr. Yamson, a prominent figure in the private sector known for his substantial contributions to business growth, shared his perspective.

He also condemned the alleged incidents of vote-buying that occurred during the recently concluded presidential primaries of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

In Dr. Yamson's view, corruption in Ghana has reached an alarming level and is on the rise.

He expressed shock and anger over the audacity of individuals who openly admitted to paying significant sums during the NPP primaries, suggesting that political leadership was seemingly for sale to the highest bidder.

Dr. Yamson was particularly concerned about how vote-buying influences corruption when politicians assume public office.

He also attributed a significant portion of the pervasive corruption in Ghana to the role of political party financing.

“Now, when that man or woman has paid all that money to acquire the position, to go to parliament, where is he going to get the money to pay back? I have a clip that I have been showing to people. Someone who has contested parliament and sat in parliament offered to say that yes we paid. My competitors paid, I didn't pay that much but they paid and I also paid.”

"There's no shame even about telling people that you got that position not on merit but only because you could raise more money, or bribe your way into that office. And he actually answered the question; ‘when I get there whose money do you think I am going to use but state money? I will make sure I get the money and pay.”

"So, I think that we have a problem with corruption and we have to accept it” he noted.

"Helping others to buy our votes will not in any way change Ghana. It will not change this country” he stressed angrily.

“This country, for as long as we have leaders who have come into office indebted to people and they have to pay them back, Evans I am sorry. I am painting too bleak a picture, but it's the reality” he told the host.

“…Because even if you yourself as an individual have not dipped your hands into the state coffers, what about all your followers and what have you done about them?”

He rebuked President Akufo-Addo for his remarks regarding the case of former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah, who was accused of hoarding millions of cedis in her residence.

“My greatest disappointment was when recently we had a case about a Minister who had so much money in her home, and the President said he hoped her integrity would be proven in the end. Why would the President even get involved in this when there are state agencies handling the matter?.”

"If you are our leader and you express trust in someone, how can you expect your followers to claim that the person is untrustworthy? It's simply not feasible. I don't believe that President Akufo-Addo has effectively curbed corruption in this country; he has not. If he had, why do we continue to witness a multitude of scandals emerging regularly, and why hasn't he taken decisive measures to address and prevent them? Why have none of his associates who have been implicated in wrongdoing been held accountable or incarcerated?" he inquired.