The Good Governance Platform -Ghana (GGPG) has said, President Nana Akufo-Addo’s directive for the Auditor-General, Daniel Yao Domelevo to proceed on leave, does not send a good signal about a president who wants to fight corruption.
The group said they were utterly shocked when they learnt of the president’s directive to Daniel Yao Dormelevo to proceed on a supposed accumulated leave.
“That this seeming connivance to variously frustrate the current AG and his work at a time corruption has engulfed Ghana, leaves a lot to be desired,” the group said in a statement, Wednesday, July 15, 2020.
According to them, per good governance practices, it is strange that the president would give such a directive and claimed to have taken a cue from a similar action taken by the late former president, John Evans Attah Mills.
GGPG stated that information they have gathered has shown that circumstances under which the then Auditor-General (AG), Edward Duah Agyemang, was directed by John Evans Attah Mills to proceed on leave, are not the same for his successor, Dormelevo. Edward Duah Agyemang was due for retirement, GGPG explained.
The GGPG expressed surprise that the same Edward Duah Agyemang, who is currently the Board Chair of the same Audit Service, would connive with others to frustrate his successor Domelevo and his staff.
The GGPG also argued that accrued leaves which are not taken, are forfeited in line with standard labour practices.
“The AG must not be forced to proceed on leave especially in the manner it was carried out since the constitution does not support the action,” they added.
GGPG has gathered that the ‘by-force’ Presidential directive to the A-G, partly had to do with an indication to begin the Government’s COVID-19 expenditures audit which the Government is seemed not prepared for.
One other thing which has now become a public knowledge; only two days into Daniel Domelevo’s ‘by force’ leave, Kroll & Associates and Senior Minister, Osafo Maafo are being given a clean bill of health by an Acting Auditor-General.
GGPG called on the current and future governments to uphold the dictates of the constitution to ensure good governance and democracy.
The group stated that the Auditor-General should not be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority as dictated by Article 187 of the 1992 Constitution.
