Kwaku Ansah Asare, Former Director of the Ghana School of Law have raised concerns over the failure of authorities in Ghana to enforce the constitutional requirement for public officials to declare their assets.
While the law mandates such declarations, many argue that the system is plagued by dishonesty and a lack of accountability.
Speaking on ABC News GH on Tuesday, February 18, he added that, “most public officials are not honest in declaring their assets. It’s a joke to them.”
The individual also expressed doubts about the authenticity of the asset declarations made by President John Dramani Mahama during his time in office, stating, “Whether the asset he has declared is the truth is anybody’s guess.”
This skepticism is compounded by the fact that, despite the legal requirement, public officials are rarely held accountable for failing to declare their assets.
“How many public officials fail to declare, and the authorities does nothing about it?” he remarked.
The failure of authorities to act when officials do not comply with the asset declaration law is seen as a serious flaw in Ghana’s efforts to maintain transparency in public service.
As President Mahama sets a deadline for all appointees to submit their asset declarations by the end of the first quarter of 2025, Asare argue that the real issue lies in the lack of consequences for non-compliance.
“There should be sanctions,” one source pointed out. “But the person before whom the declaration is made is as guilty as the other,” emphasizing the difficulty in ensuring that public officials truly adhere to the law.
