Yaw Osafo-Maafo, a senior presidential advisor, has stated his concerns regarding the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act, 1998, shedding light on a significant aspect he finds problematic.
In an audio excerpt played on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News program, Osafo-Maafo expressed his reservations about the confidentiality surrounding asset declarations under the law.
He emphasised that while public officeholders are required to declare their assets upon assuming their positions, the lack of transparency in the process makes it challenging for anyone to verify the authenticity of these declarations.
“In Ghana, when you become a minister of state or hold positions in various sectors at public levels, the first thing you do is to declare your assets.
“What I don’t like personally about this law is that after you have declared your assets, everything is kept confidential between the Auditor General and yourself, and therefore it becomes very difficult for anybody to challenge th
e authenticity of your declaration,” he explained.
The Act in question mandates the declaration of assets and liabilities by public office holders in accordance with Chapter Twenty-Four of the 1992 Constitution.
It also stipulates provisions for disqualification from certain public offices in the event of adverse findings or criminal convictions against an individual.
Yaw Osafo-Maafo further said that there should be a certain level of transparency in the asset declaration process to address his concerns.
He proposed that while asset declarations should still be mandatory, there should be mechanisms in place to allow for public access to these declarations through specified procedures.
“I think that yes, let’s declare the assets, but there should be a certain level of transparency in the declaration of the assets so that people can access what you declared by certain procedures,” Osafo-Maafo remarked.
Source: Ghana Web
