President John Dramani Mahama has penalised all his appointees who failed to meet the deadline for declaration of assets.
He said they will all forfeit their salaries for four months.
He explained that earlier, all appointees had agreed to forfeit one-month salary.
As such, those who could not meet the deadline will forfeit three more months’ salaries.
“On 18th of February 2025, I set a deadline of 31st March for all appointees who are taking office or being nominated at the time to declare assets. An update provided by the Auditor General to my office indicates that some of you failed to meet that deadline.
“In addition to one month’s salary that I have asked all appointees to donate to the Mahama Cares Trust Fund. So it means that those who omitted to declare their assets by the date, you are paying four months’ salary to Mahama Cares,” he said.
In February, the President issued a directive to the effect that any appointee who failed to meet the asset declaration deadline would face serious sanctions, including removal from their positions.
After the deadline, 3news sources revealed that a number of high-profile individuals within the Mahama administration had not submitted their asset declaration forms. These include:
- Nathan Kofi Boakye, Director of Operations at the Presidency
- Seth Emmanuel Terkper, Presidential Adviser on the Economy
- Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, Special Envoy to the Alliance of Sahelian States
- Nathan Kofi Boakye, Director of Operations at the Presidency
- Seth Emmanuel Terkper, Presidential Adviser on the Economy
- Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, Special Envoy to the Alliance of Sahelian States
READ ALSO: Asset declaration defiance: List of gov’t officials who missed Mahama’s March 31 deadline
Launching the Code of Conduct, President Mahama said it “applies broadly to ministers, deputy ministers, presidential staffers, the Chief of Staff, CEOs and their deputies, members of the Council of State, board members, and other political appointees within the executive arm of government.”
Among the codes specified in the document are;
- Any situation that creates a conflict between your personal interests and official duties must be either avoided or fully disclosed. This includes holding stakes in companies that conduct business with the government or your ministry, using insider information for personal gain, etc.
- Appointees are prohibited from accepting gifts or favours, especially from companies or individuals with an interest in governmental decisions.
- If a gift is received during an official engagement and its estimated value exceeds GHC20,000, it must be declared. Upon leaving office, the gift must be surrendered unless the President expressly permits its retention.
- No government funds, including internally generated funds, are to be used to purchase or distribute hampers or gift items. The only exception is the provision of modest gifts to staff as a reward for excellence or upon retirement.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews, the Government’s Spokesperson, Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the Code of Conduct takes immediate effect.
He added, “failure to comply can lead to suspension or dismissal.”
