In a recent forum on open government partnerships and construction sector transparency in Accra, Senior Presidential Advisor, Yaw Osafo-Maafo shared a story about the resistance he faced from traditional authorities during the National Consultative Assembly for the drafting of the 1992 Constitution.
These chiefs were vehemently against the idea of publishing assets as part of the asset declaration regime, fearing for their safety if their relatives were to know the extent of their properties.
Osafo-Maafo recounted how the chiefs expressed concerns about potential harm if their assets were made public, citing the traditional system of inheritance where properties are passed down matrilineally. According to him, the fear of being targeted for their wealth made the chiefs oppose the publication of assets.
The current asset declaration regime was also criticized by Osafo-Maafo for its lack of transparency. He highlighted the confidential nature of the declared assets, which are only known to the Auditor-General and the officers declaring them, making it difficult for anyone to challenge the authenticity of the declarations.
While Osafo-Maafo acknowledged the importance of asset declaration as an anti-corruption tool, he emphasized the need for transparency in the process. He called for a certain level of openness in the declaration of assets so that the public can assess and scrutinize what is being declared.
The Public Office Holders Declaration of Assets and Disqualification Act 1998 (Act 550) has been a longstanding feature of Ghana’s constitutional and legal framework, dating back to the 1969 Constitution. Article 286 (1) of the 1992 Constitution mandates public office holders to submit written declarations of all their properties and assets to the Auditor-General.
