Governance expert Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah has expressed disappointment with President John Dramani Mahama’s decision to sanction government appointees who failed to declare their assets with a three-month salary forfeiture rather than immediate dismissal.
The criticism follows President Mahama’s announcement during the launch of a Code of Conduct for government appointees in Accra on Monday, May 5.
He warned that appointees who do not comply with the final deadline of May 7, 2025, will be dismissed.
This directive comes after an earlier March 31 deadline was missed, forming part of the administration’s push to promote transparency and accountability in public service.
However, in an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM with Umaru Sanda Amadu, Prof. Agyeman-Duah argued that those who ignored the President’s order should have been removed from office entirely.
“I take presidential directives seriously, so if you blatantly defy the President’s order, it’s an insult to the President. That’s the way I see it; in that respect, I would’ve fired you right away. That didn’t happen, and he has decided otherwise,” he said.
He acknowledged that the President has the prerogative to act at his discretion but maintained that a firmer approach would have been more appropriate.
“So, I won’t begrudge the President of using discretionary powers to decide what to do. Certainly, it wasn’t a good show by those who defied his powers. I think dismissals would have been a more dignified way to treat them and also to show them the seriousness of this particular action,” he added.
Declare assets by May 7 or I’ll sack you – Mahama to appointees
…..
Explore the world of impactful news with CitiNewsroom on WhatsApp!
Click on the link to join the Citi Newsroom channel for curated, meaningful stories tailored just for YOU:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCYzPRAYlUPudDDe53x
No spam, just the stories that truly matter! #StayInformed #CitiNewsroom #CNRDigital
