President Mahama’s Asset Declaration Laudable but Reforms are Essential – Daniel Dormelevo

Assets declaration is a crucial tool for promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance in Ghana.

It helps prevent corruption, illicit wealth accumulation, and conflicts of interest among public officials by requiring them to disclose their financial holdings and liabilities.

The former Auditor-General of Ghana, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, has entered the national conversation on asset declaration. This follows President John Mahama’s public presentation of his assets and directive for his appointees to follow suit or face potential repercussions, including dismissal.

While Domelevo acknowledged President Mahama’s move as a significant step towards transparency and accountability, he raised critical concerns about the effectiveness of Ghana’s asset declaration framework, describing it as inadequate and in dire need of reform.

Domelevo’s reaction to President Mahama’s declaration was one of cautious optimism.

“It is good to see that the president has declared his assets. However, I was not too happy seeing the envelope being handed over in that manner. That only fuels the belief that one merely submits a sealed envelope, which is not the case.

“The declaration process should have been completed thoroughly, ensuring that the form was properly filled, signed, and verified.”

Nevertheless, he welcomed President Mahama’s decision to set a deadline for his appointees and other public officials to declare their assets and liabilities.

However, he criticized the March 31 deadline, arguing that the constitution mandates asset declaration before assuming office, and thus, any extension contradicts this legal requirement.

“The constitution requires that assets be declared before taking office. Some may argue that Act 550 allows six months, but Act 550 contradicts the Constitution. In fact, I have a letter from former Attorney-General Gloria Akuffo confirming that certain provisions of Act 550 are inconsistent with the supreme law of the land. Yet, we have continued to follow this flawed system.”

The former Auditor General further endorsed President Mahama’s commitment to sanctioning officials who fail to declare their assets. “That should cut across everyone. If enforced properly, it would be a positive step towards reducing corruption.”

While Domelevo sees the President’s initiative as commendable, he maintained that asset declaration in its current form is insufficient to curb corruption.

He strongly advocated for lifestyle audits and a reversal of the burden of proof in corruption cases, citing international examples to support his call for lifestyle audits.

“If we don’t introduce lifestyle audits and shift the burden of proof onto officials suspected of illicit wealth accumulation, the declaration exercise will be meaningless. People will simply register assets under the names of family and friends.

The UK has done it. Ethiopia recently implemented it and even backdated investigations by ten years to hold people accountable. Ghana must take the same bold approach if we are serious about fighting corruption.”

He urged President Mahama to push for the swift passage of a comprehensive Code of Conduct for Public Office Holders, incorporating provisions for lifestyle audits and strict enforcement mechanisms.

The former Auditor-General dismissed any notion that calls for asset declaration reforms stems from mere suspicion of public officials. Rather, he pointed to abundant evidence that many government appointees have amassed illicit wealth while in office.

“Look at the Auditor General’s report and you will see that people holding public funds have been always misappropriating or using the money for their benefit. Put the auditor general’s report aside. Many of them have been in office just for four years, a maximum of eight years. See how filthy rich they are.

“They are terribly rich. And if you look at their salaries, I used to tease some of their MPs that as auditor general, my salary is bigger than yours. But you seem to be ten, twenty, hundred times richer than me. How did you make it? So the truth on the ground, not suspicion, is that they have been stealing public funds.”

For him, the truth is evident: “Some public officials have clearly abused their positions for personal gain. That is why we must know their net worth before and after office.”

Yaw Domelevo also shared his experiences with enforcing asset declaration laws, expressing frustration at the judiciary’s reluctance to comply.

He revealed that even Supreme Court justices, including former Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, failed to declare their assets as required by law.

“When I started enforcement, I discovered that the very people who should uphold the law—judges—were among the worst offenders. Several High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court judges had not declared their assets. Attempts to seek redress through the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) proved disappointing.

“CHRAJ simply dismissed the petitions, saying that Act 550 does not prescribe any punishment for non-compliance. But if the constitution mandates asset declaration before assuming office and one fails to do so, isn’t that an unconstitutional occupation of office?”

Domelevo drew a sharp analogy: “Could President Mahama have woken up on January 7, 2025, and declared himself president without being sworn in? No. Yet, we diligently follow constitutional requirements for presidential inaugurations and ministerial swearing-ins, while conveniently ignoring asset declaration laws.”

 

A Call for Comprehensive Reform:

Domelevo insisted that the only way forward is to overhaul Ghana’s asset declaration framework, making it more transparent and enforceable.

He proposed three key reforms: strict Punishments for Non-Compliance, asserting that public officials who fail to declare assets before assuming office should automatically forfeit their positions.

He also called for lifestyle audits, demanding that an independent body must verify whether an official’s wealth aligns with their legal earnings.

Finally, Domelovo called for a reversal of the burden of proof, arguing that officials with unexplained wealth should be required to prove its legitimacy or forfeit the assets to the state. “If we truly want asset declaration to contribute to the fight against corruption, we must include all these elements,” he emphasized.

Domelevo remains cautiously hopeful that President Mahama’s commitment to asset declaration will mark the beginning of a more accountable governance system in Ghana.

However, he warned that without substantive legal and institutional reforms, the effort will remain symbolic rather than transformative.

“The president has taken an important first step. But now, he must follow through by ensuring that asset declaration laws are properly enforced, lifestyle audits are introduced, and public officials who fail to comply face real consequences. Only then will Ghanaians regain confidence in the integrity of their leaders.”

Daniel Yaw Domelevo’s call for urgent reforms in asset declaration is a crucial reminder that transparency and accountability must not be mere buzzwords but enforceable principles guiding public service as Ghana navigates another era of her democratic journey.