GOVT REJECTS MO IBRAHIM REPORT

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, October 06, 2016

Mo Ibrahim Foundation Index on Governance on the African continent has given Ghana mixed ratings as the country gears up for the crucial general election on December 7.

A summary of the report states, "Even if Ghana and South Africa feature in the top ten performing countries in overall governance in 2015, they are also the eighth and tenth most deteriorated over the decade.”

However, government has rejected the report, saying that it is not the true reflection of events in Ghana. 

“We do not need the [Mo Ibrahim] survey to actually know how we are faring as a nation,” Communications Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, said Tuesday.

The 2016 Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) report released Monday, ranked Ghana seventh best African country in good governance.

The report, released on Monday which embodied the assessment of 54 countries, measured the extent to which governments met the expectations of citizens politically, socially and economically.

In the overall analysis, Ghana placed 7^th with a score of 63.6/100, but in spite of the performance, the index showed that the country is experiencing a decline in three of four key indicators used in the measurement over the last ten years.

It said although Ghana was among the top ten performing countries, the country ranked the 8^th most deteriorated over the past decade.

In the ‘Human Rights’ indicator, the report said Ghana ranked 4^th out of the 54 countries with a score of 73.1/100 in 2015, but said it represented a marginal increase of 0.1 between 2006 and 2016 while the ‘Sustainable Economic Opportunity’ remained the lowest scoring category in 2015, where Ghana got an African average score of 42.9 points.

For ‘Safety and Rule of Law’ the report said Ghana placed 6^th, but was ranked 14th, 23rd, 11th and 5th in the sub-categories of Rule of Law, Accountability, Personal Safety and National Security respectively.

The foundation issued a statement saying, “Over the last decade, overall governance has improved by one score point at the continental average level, with 37 countries – home to 70% of African citizens – registering progress.

“This overall positive trend has been led mainly by improvement in Human Development and Participation & Human Rights. Sustainable Economic Opportunity also registered an improvement, but at a slower pace.”

 It added, “However, these positive trends stand in contrast to a pronounced and concerning drop in Safety & Rule of Law, for which 33 out of the 54 African countries – home to almost two-thirds of the continent’s population – have experienced a decline since 2006, 15 of them quite substantially.”

Govt’s Reaction

Communications Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah reacted to the report, asking Ghanaians not to attach much importance to the results because it did not reflect happenings on the ground.

“We do not need the (Mo Ibrahim) survey to actually know how we are faring as a nation. The reality is that Ghana is rising, Ghana is making significant progress. ... If you are to look at the peace and stability that we enjoy...do you need a Mo Ibrahim index?" he questioned.

According to Omane Boamah, a true analysis of primary data will show different results, adding that Ghana’s performance on governance has been positive in recent years.

The minister further entreated the foundation to “rely more on quantitative surveys,” adding: “If you are dealing with qualitative, the biases are in there, the subjectivities are in there."

No Winner

For the fifth time, there was no winner for the Mo Ibrahim Prize for any past president on the continent.

The lucky former president would have benefited from the US$5 million prize money rewarding outstanding leadership and commitment to democracy.

The foundation has awarded only four leaders since its launch in 2006. They are President Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia (2014), President Pedro Pires of Cape Verde (2011), President Festus Mogae of Botswana (2008) and President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique (2007).