Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has raised concerns about President Akufo-Addo’s commitment to passing the Code of Conduct for Public Officers bill by the end of 2024.
Kpebu criticized the President, suggesting that he may be avoiding the bill altogether.
The Code of Conduct for Public Officers is outlined in Chapter 24 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution. It aims to address conflicts of interest, illicit enrichment, and other unethical conduct that could undermine public trust in government officials.
Despite calls from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to pass the bill, progress has been slow.
The bill is seen as a crucial update to Ghana’s anti-corruption legal framework, as it would align with the AU Convention on Prevention and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC) and the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). However, Kpebu emphasized the need for extensive stakeholder consultations to incorporate the perspectives of Ghanaians.
Kpebu also expressed disappointment in the IMF’s failure to prioritize the passage of the bill before releasing bailout funds to Ghana. He highlighted the importance of public asset declarations and transparency in ensuring accountability among public officials.
In a related development, Senior Presidential Advisor Yaw Osafo-Maafo called for a review of the existing asset declaration law, describing it as “opaque” in its current form. Osafo-Maafo emphasized the need for transparency in asset declarations to prevent corruption and unjust enrichment in the public sector.
