The Auditor General, Daniel Domelevo, has criticized the practice of appointing former heads of state institutions to occupy board chairmanship positions.
According to him, the practice festers tension and makes it easier for the current leadership to be undermined.
His comments come at a time when there is an impasse between him and the Board of his office, a situation that is currently been investigated by a committee set up by the president.
[contextly_sidebar id=”TskhPW5ODjdntH3354vY1k724qIkLnRr”] But speaking at the Baah Wiredu Memorial Lectures, Mr Domelovo bemoaned the emergence of such a trend in the public service.
“The practice of bringing back former public servants to their old positions or bringing former Chief executives as Board members leaves much to be desired because clearly there will be conflict. Since I came to office, I have removed more than 200 people from office last year and this year. If they bring you back years later as a board member or board chairman, [you] can easily undermine who is there and so we have to take a second look at this. And some of the board members even if they are appointed, they think it’s their second coming of Christ; they will not be leaving.”
The Auditor General further expressed worry over the instance whereby some heads of state institutions act as though they are above the law or there are no laws guiding their activities as boards of directors.
“It is really disturbing. We find board members overriding laws. Public Servants in Ghana from my point of view are governed by laws and therefore the universal principles of corporate governance cannot override the laws of Ghana.”
I’m not undermining Auditor General- Board Chairman
The Chairman of the Audit Service Board, Professor Edward Dua Agyeman, has denied allegations that he is interfering with the work of Auditor General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo.
The Auditor General in a letter to President Akufo-Addo asking for intervention in the matter, accused Professor Dua Agyeman of unlawfully interfering with, and violating his mandate.
In the letter dated 27th July 2018, Mr. Domelevo said “I wish to bring to your attention the unlawful interference and violations of my constitutional mandate by the Board Chairman- Prof Edward Dua Agyeman- and the Board of Ghana Audit Service and respectively request for your intervention.”
This follows a series of communications sighted by Citi News on what seems like a strained relationship between the Auditor-General and his Board Chairman.
Professor Dua Agyeman however denies the allegations saying; “it is not that we do not want to work with him. He is insisting that he is not answerable to the Board and that whatever instructions we give he will not take.”
Presidency sets up C’ttee to probe Auditor General’s complaints of interference
Meanwhile, the Presidency has set-up a committee to investigate concerns of interference raised by Auditor General.
Citi News sources say the Auditor-General has been invited to meet with Executive Secretary to the President, Nana Asante Bediatuo to discuss his concerns.
Though details of the committee and its terms of reference are still scanty, sources say it is expected to find a lasting solution to the impasse between the Head of the Audit Service and the Board Chair, Professor Edward Dua Agyeman.
Letters available to Citi News show long-standing accusations of job interference against the board chair, with Mr. Domelevo communicating his displeasure at the development.
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By: Duke Mensah Opoku & Nii Larte Lartey/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
