Publish your assets – CSOs to Akufo-Addo

The Coalition of Civil Society Groups has urged President Nana Akufo-Addo to publicly declare his assets.

According to the group, led by Prof Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi of the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), although the president has declared his assets as stipulated by law, making them public will help the fight against corruption because it will serve as an encouragement to his appointees to follow suit.

The coalition which paid a call on the president on Wednesday, 16 August, also urged the president to make the declaration “independently verifiable” and also expand the law to include any “politically-exposed persons” to declare their assets.

Article 286 (1) of the 1992 Constitution stipulates that: “A person who holds public office to submit to the Auditor General a written declaration of all property and assets owned by or liabilities owed by him directly or indirectly.”

This is done while in office and after leaving office. The law, however, does not allow the declaration to be made public.

The CSOs believe that law must be amended to make it mandatory for the assets declared to be made public.