By Ashiadey Dotse
President John Mahama has warned that any government appointee who fails to declare their assets by March 31, 2025, will face strict sanctions, not excluding removal from office.
He gave this warning after publicly submitting his assets to the Auditor-General on February 18, 2025, at the Jubilee House, as required by the 1992 Constitution.
“I wish to stress that any appointee failing to meet this deadline will face severe sanctions not excluding removal from office,” he said.
President Mahama emphasised the importance of transparency in governance. He explained that many public officials may not be aware that they are required by law to declare their assets.
President Mahama highlighted that in the past, asset declarations were often done in secrecy, making it difficult to measure compliance.
By declaring his assets publicly, he aims to promote openness and encourage accountability among public officeholders. He stressed that fighting corruption should start with prevention, and a transparent asset declaration process is a key tool in achieving this.
“In times past, I would privately have presented these forms to the Auditor General in fulfillment of my statutory obligation. I’ve taken this step of presenting these forms publicly as a way of injecting some openness and transparency into the process of asset declaration.”
The President instructed his Chief of Staff to ensure that all appointees meet the March 31 deadline. He stated clearly that failure to comply would result in severe consequences.
President Mahama also called for improvements to the current asset declaration system, suggesting that declared assets should be made public both before and after holding office. This, he believes, will help check unexplained wealth and corruption among public officials.
