The Ghana Police Service had always topped any survey conducted in the country as the most corrupt institution.

However, last 2019 survey conducted by Afrobarometer has made an interesting discovery that the Ghanaian public trust the police more than opposition political parties including the National Democratic Congress in a two points difference.

Thus opposition political parties had 37% scores as against Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (38%) and police (39%).

In totality, 73% of Ghanaian said they trust the Ghana Armed Forces than religious leaders (64%), the president (54%), traditional leaders (55%) and the Electoral Commission (53%).

The courts and the New Patriotic Party had (48%), assembly members and parliament (41%), Ghana Revenue Authority (39%).

The survey results were published by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD).

Analysis of the survey suggest that leaders of religious and traditional institutions could play key in the country’s effort to contain the novel COVID-19 pandemic.

That is to say there is an urgent need to scale up the sensitization of Ghanaians on the pandemic and steps – and very real sacrifices – needed to contain the virus as the numbers keep increasing while the partial ban had been lifted.

A broader consultation with traditional and religious leaders who have close interaction with the people they lead might be an effective way to court public cooperation in the implementation of anti-COVID-19 measures.

Religious and traditional leaders were among the most trusted officials in the country that had percentages scores of 64% and 55% respectively.

These leaders enjoy greater popular trust than parliamentarians (41%), assembly men and women (41%), and metropolitan, municipal, and district chief executives (38%).

Trust in religious and traditional leaders is high in most key socio-demographic groups. But rural, less uneducated, older, and relatively poor citizens tend to trust them more than their urban, younger, highly educated, and relatively well-off counterparts.

In contrast, Ghanaians are more likely to contact religious and traditional leaders than most other officials to discuss important problems. As four in 10 respondents (40%) said in 2017 that they had contacted a religious leader at least once during the past year. One in four (26%) report having contacted a traditional leader in the year preceding the 2019 survey, compared to 20% for political party officials and 15% for parliamentarians.

More than two-thirds (69%) of Ghanaians believe traditional leaders have “a lot” or “some” influence in the governance of their local communities, suggesting recognition of traditional leaders’ influence is widespread among key socio-demographic groups including urban, young, and economically well-off respondents.

By Bernice Bessey