These 19 Akufo-Addo appointees never declared their assets – Report

It has emerged that some appointees of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government never declared their assets as required by law.

GhanaWeb sighted a report by Accra-based online portal – The Fourth Estate – indicating that 19 of the minister’s President Akufo-Addo swore into office during his first term violated the law.

According to the report, President Akufo-Addo had complied fully with the asset declaration law since coming into office as president in January 2017. He has declared his assets three times since 2017.

The President is reported to have declared his assets on January 24, 2017, February 17, 2021, and May 7, 2021.

The report further sighted President Akufo-Addo stating on July 18, 2017, that all his appointees had declared their assets.

The 19 appointees who failed to declare their assets include:

1. Prof Kwesi Yankah – Minister of State in Charge of Tertiary Education – (April 4, 2017, to January 7, 2021).

2. Rockson Bukari – Upper East Regional Minister – (February 20, 2017, to April 29, 2019).

3. Tangoba Abayege – She succeeded Rockson Bukari as the Upper East Regional Minister after Bukari resigned and was moved to the presidency as minister of state in 2018.

She was in office from November 2018 to January 7, 2021.

4. Salifu Adam Braimah – Savannah Regional Minister – (March 27, 2019, to January 7, 2021).

5. Evelyn Ama Kumi-Richardson – Bono Regional Minister – (March 27, 2021, to January 7, 2021).

6. Sulemana Alhassan – Upper West Regional Minister – (March 27, 2021, to January 7, 2021).

7. Carlos Ahenkorah – Deputy Minister, Trade and Industry – (April 11, 2017, to July 3, 2020)

8. William Owuraku Aidoo – Deputy Minister, Energy – (April 11, 2017, to January 7, 2021). He was reappointed when President Akufo-Addo won a second term.

9. Vincent Sowah Odotei – Deputy Minister, Communications – (April 2017 to April 2020).

10. Bernard Okoe Boye – Deputy Health Minister – (April 20, 2020, to January 7, 2021).

11. Anthony N-Yoh Puowele Karbo – Deputy Minister, Roads & Highways – (April 11, 2017, to January 7, 2021).

12. Francis Kingsley Ato Cudjoe – Deputy Minister, Fisheries & Aquaculture – (April 11, 2017, to January 7, 2021).

13. Siaka Stevens – Deputy Regional Minister, Bono – (March 27, 2019, to January 2021).

14. Samuel Yeyu Tika – Deputy Regional Minister, Savannah – (March 27, 2019, to January 2021).

15. Tahiru Tia Ahmed – Deputy Regional Minister, North East – (March 27, 2019, to January 7, 2021).

16. Johnson Avuletey – Deputy Regional Minister, Volta Region – (March 27, 2019, to January 2021).

17. Thomas Adjei Baffour – Deputy Regional Minister, Central – (March 3, 2017, to January 7, 2021).

18. Joseph Tetteh – Deputy Regional Minister, Eastern – (March 3, 2017, to August 2018).

19. Elizabeth Kwatsoo Tetteh Sackey – Deputy Regional Minister, Greater Accra (March 3, 2017, to January 7, 2021).

She is now the Mayor of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly.

What does the Asset Declaration law say?

By law, ministers are to declare their assets within six months in office and latest six months after the end of a government’s first term.

Article 268 (1) of the 1992 Constitution states that “a person who holds a public office mentioned in clause (5) of this Article shall submit to the Auditor-General a written declaration of all property or assets owned by or liabilities owed by, him whether directly or indirectly (a) within three months after the coming into force of this Constitution or before taking office, as the case may be, (b) at the end of every four years; and (b) at the end of his term of office.”

The Constitution requires the declaration to be done before the public officer takes office. However, Section 1(4)(c) of the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act directs public office holders to meet this requirement not later than six months after taking office, at the end of every four years and not later than six months at the end of his or her term.

The law requires that the President, Vice-President, the Speaker, Deputy Speakers of Parliament, ministers and deputy ministers of state, ambassadors, the Chief Justice and managers of public institutions in which the state has interest submit to the Auditor-General written declarations of all property or assets owned by, or liabilities owed by them, whether directly or indirectly.

They are required to declare their assets relating to:

(a)lands, houses and buildings;

(b) farms;

(c) concessions;

(d) trust or family property in respect of which the officer has beneficial interest;

(e) vehicles, plant and machinery, fishing boats, trawlers, generating plants;

(f) business interests;

(g) securities and bank balances;

(h) bonds and treasury bills;

(i) jewellery of the value of ¢5 million [now ¢500] or above; objects of art of the value of ¢5 million or above;

(j) life and other insurance policies;

(k) such other properties as are specified on the declaration form.