Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey, has emphasized the need for stringent mechanisms to verify assets declared by public officials to enhance transparency and accountability in governance.
Speaking at the National Economic Dialogue, he commended former President John Dramani Mahama for publicly declaring his assets but insisted that verification by the Auditor-General is necessary to ensure credibility.
“There is also the need for verification of declared assets by the Auditor-General. The president has set the standard—he is the first person to announce that he declared his assets, and we all saw it on TV,” he said.
Dr. Akwetey urged all public officers to follow Mahama’s example but questioned whether such declarations would be made publicly accessible for citizens to scrutinize.
“But we think that all public officers should do the same. However, it is not clear whether this will be made public so that citizens can also assess those representing them in high offices of state,” he added.
He also called for reforms to separate parliamentary functions from the executive to strengthen checks and balances. He warned that the significant influence of the governing party in parliament could hinder constitutional reforms if political consensus is not prioritized.
“It is essential to decouple parliamentary functions from the executive branch to promote checks and balances in governance. But we have a situation where this time, the governing party has the greatest majority,” he noted.
“With the governing party having almost absolute majority to push reforms, it could do it its way, which may deepen divisions. Constitutional reforms require consensus, even if they will not be entrenched,” he cautioned.
Dr. Akwetey’s remarks highlight the need for institutional reforms to enhance democracy, transparency, and inclusive governance in Ghana.