Professor Kweku Asare, a lecturer at the University of Florida has intimated that the Presidents directive to the Auditor General to retire should not come as a surprise to anyone who has keenly followed the controversies surrounding his leave and his return to duty yesterday.
Speaking in an interview, he stated that, the outcome of the issue was obvious following the activities of the Board of the Audit Service on Mr.Domelevo’s issue.
“That is the way it has progressed because, it starts with the board. The board says something, the presidency responds repeating everything that the Board Chairman has said. And it’s the same thing that has happened here.”
Prof Asare
Commenting on if the board has the power to do what it did, with regards to questioning the personal information of the former Auditor General, he averred that he did not think they were in the position to do so.
“It is indeed an absurd arrangement to say you have an independent Auditor General and then you say you have a board, majority of them appointed by the President, exercising oversight of the independent body. Who then audits the presidency?”
Prof Asare
Speaking on the issue of citizenship as a threat to the country in relations to Mr. Domelevo’s citizenship which is being questioned, Professor Asare indicated that the issue of citizenship is extremely dangerous for the country.
“If you look at any African Country that has had conflict, look at Liberia, Ivory Coast and so on, it started around citizenship where some of the citizens were prevented from running for presidency.”
He averred that it is a result of these kind of conflicts that Africans do not joke with the issue of citizenship and as such suggested that measures be put out to confirm one’s citizenship rather than violating their human rights.
He further said is was quite improper to have involved his nationality partly as a reason for him to vacate his position after it was clearly stated he was born in Ghana and also having a Ghanaian mother.
The President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, yesterday March 3, 2021 notified Daniel Yao Domelevo that he cannot hold himself as the Auditor-General again since official records show he retired on 1st June 2020.
According to a letter addressed to Mr. Domelevo, dated 3rd March 2021 and signed by secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, it said the Auditor-General’s date of birth is 1st June 1960 which therefore means his retirement was due last year June and as a result, relieved him of his duty.
“The attention of the President of the Republic has been drawn to records and documents made available to this Office by the Audit Service, that indicate that your date of birth is 1st June 1960, and that in accordance with article 199 (1) of the Constitution, your date of retirement as Auditor-General was 1st June 2020.
“Based on this information, the President is of the view that you have formally left office.”
Read full letter below:
