Former Auditor-General and anti-corruption crusader, Daniel Yaw Domelovo, has called for stringent compliance and urgent reforms in Ghana’s asset declaration regime to curb the abuse of public resources.
Speaking on the importance of asset declaration, Mr Domelovo emphasized that it is a key pillar in public financial management, providing a mechanism to track the wealth of public officers before, during, and after their tenure.
“The idea is for us to know how much a public office holder owns before assuming public office and how much he or she owns when they are exiting public office. It gives us an idea as to whether one might have misapplied some public funds for his personal use.
“So closely related to assets and liabilities declaration is what we call lifestyle audit, which will basically look at the assets or the resources you have against the means of earning that you have to see whether there is a match or mismatch.”
Daniel Yaw Domelovo, former Ghana’s Auditor General
Addressing criticisms of the current asset declaration process, Mr Domelovo refuted the widespread perception that public officials merely submit their declarations in sealed envelopes without scrutiny.
According to him, once a form is submitted, it is reviewed for authenticity by verifying the officer’s signature against a recognized ID. However, he pointed out a critical flaw: Ghana’s asset declaration system lacks proper verification beyond this initial process.
“In other jurisdictions, verification involves comparing declared assets and liabilities against actual holdings. If someone claims to own five houses, a verification officer should inspect the properties to confirm their existence and value”.
Daniel Yaw Domelovo, former Ghana’s Auditor General
He highlighted the risk of anticipatory declarations, where officials falsely declare ownership of assets they intend to acquire illicitly while in office, thus creating a misleading impression of legitimate wealth accumulation.
Mandatory Declaration Without Enforcement is Ineffective
Moreover, Mr Domelovo stressed that asset declaration is not optional but a legal requirement, however, noted Ghana’s system fails to enforce punitive measures against those who do not comply.
“In any effective system, there should be clear sanctions for failing to declare assets within the stipulated period. Unfortunately, Ghana’s framework lacks such deterrents, making non-compliance inconsequential”.
Daniel Yaw Domelovo, former Ghana’s Auditor General
A major controversy surrounding asset declaration is the secrecy surrounding declared assets. Critics argue that public officials’ asset declarations should be made public to enhance transparency and accountability.
Mr Domelovo noted that Ghana’s legal framework already provides for such transparency under the Public and Political Office Holders Declaration of Assets and Eligibility Act, 1992 (PNDC Law 280).
He cited Section 1(3) of the law, which mandates the Auditor-General or the Electoral Commission to publish asset declarations in the Gazette within 14 days of receipt.
“It is baffling that despite this clear legal provision, asset declarations remain concealed from the public. If we made these declarations public, citizens could verify claims through institutions like the Lands Commission. This would expose fraudulent declarations and deter officials from amassing unexplained wealth”.
Daniel Yaw Domelovo, former Ghana’s Auditor General
Exposing Corrupt Enrichment Through Transparency
Mr Domelovo called attention to a disturbing trend where politicians and public officials, who previously had modest financial means, suddenly become wealthy within a short time in office.
“We all know politicians who, before assuming office, could barely afford a decent lifestyle. Yet, within four years, they become incredibly wealthy. Where does this money come from? If we had a robust and transparent system, we could question and challenge such unexplained enrichment.”
Daniel Yaw Domelovo, former Ghana’s Auditor General
He also noted that some politicians have attempted to voluntarily disclose their assets during vetting processes, but these claims remain unverifiable in the absence of a publicly accessible asset declaration system.
In light of these challenges, Mr Domelovo proposed several reforms including full verification of declarations, asserting that the Auditor-General’s office must go beyond merely receiving declarations and actively verify assets and liabilities.
He further called for strict enforcement of sanctions, advocating that there should be clear and enforceable penalties for failing to declare assets or making false declarations.
Additionally, Mr Domelovo demanded that Ghana must fully implement PNDC Law 280 by ensuring asset declarations are published in the Gazette, online, or in newspapers.
He also called for the integration of the assets declaration with Lifestyle Audits, adding that a system should be developed to compare declared assets against an official’s lifestyle and earnings to detect discrepancies.
Mr Domelovo’s call for reforms comes at a time when concerns over corruption in public office remain high in Ghana.
His recommendations, if implemented, could significantly enhance transparency and accountability, ensuring that public officials do not abuse their positions for personal enrichment at the expense of the Ghanaian people.
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