The Fourth Estate’s sources in government say the Chief of Staff sent reminders to ministers and other top appointees to declare their assets.

In July 2017, the president said, “I declared my assets within two weeks of my inauguration and so has the Vice-President. The ministers have declared their assets, and I am insisting that all those required to do so under the law, should comply.”

In March 2022, The Fourth Estate wrote to the Audit Service using the right to information law to request information on public office holders who had declared their assets from January 2013 up to that date.

The Audit Service responded with the data in May 2022, with two booklets of information of almost 350 pages. The booklets contain the names of all public office holders who have declared their assets and the dates of declarations in all the regions of Ghana from 2013 to May 2022.

That information revealed that 28 ministers and deputy ministers of state who served or are still serving in the Akufo-Addo administration did not declare their assets at all.

The information also revealed that the president and 19 of his ministers have fully complied with the asset declaration law. The president and his ministers on that list, who have served since 2017, have declared their assets at least three times.

They declared at the beginning of the first term and declared at the end of the first term. They again declared their assets at the beginning of the second term in office.

President Akufo-Addo, for instance, first declared his assets on January 24, 2017. On February 17, 2021, he declared again for the end of his first term.

Then, on May 7, 2021, the president declared his assets to cover the beginning of his second term. He did this in conformity with Article 286 of the 1992 Constitution and Act 550.

However, the vice-president and more than 90 ministers and deputy ministers who have served in Akufo-Addo’s government have not fully complied with the law as the president did.

Some ministers who spoke to The Fourth Estate in the course of this series have argued that declaring one’s assets at the beginning of the first term and at the beginning of the second term cover for the end of the first term.

To them, not declaring at the end of the first term doesn’t amount to a breach because the end of the first term and the beginning of the second term are almost within the same period.

The declaration of assets is administered by the Auditor-General. When The Fourth Estate contacted the Auditor-General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, for a clarification on the Law, he said that could better be explained by the lawyers such as the Attorney-General.

“It’s an Omission but it’s not grave,”—Attorney-General

The Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, told The Fourth Estate that the constitution required political office holders such as ministers of state to declare their assets at the beginning of their term in office and at the end of their term.

For those continuing after the four years, they are supposed to declare at the beginning of their second time, making it three declarations for ministers who have served in the Akufo-Addo administration since 2017.

“That is the constitutional requirement, and that’s why I did mine like that,” he said.

Mr. Dame declared his assets on July 20, 2017. He filed his exit declaration on January 26, 2021. On his elevation to the position of Attorney General in this second term of the president, he declared his assets on May 25, 2021.

Two lawyers, Samson Lardy Anyenini and Martin Kpebu, are of the view that a full declaration and compliance with the law ought to follow what the president and 19 of his ministers did.

Citing the ruling of the Supreme Court in J.H. Mensah v Attorney-General, the two lawyers argue that every appointee’s tenure ends after the four years when the president’s tenure ends.

“The argument that they are continuing and should not declare their assets at the end of the tenure cannot be right because no appointee walks into the position even if they are reappointed,” Samson Lardy Anyenini said. “All of them go through a fresh appointment and vetting.”

The Attorney-General, however, noted that if someone declared their assets at the beginning of the four years and files again at the beginning of a continuing second term of four years, their failure to declare at the end of the first term is not a grave offence.

He said the essence of declaring at the beginning and at the end of the four years is to ascertain the amount of assets and liabilities that were added on when the public officer was in office.

With that, he said the period between the end of the first term and the beginning of the second term is a few days or weeks, within which not much would change.

He said the continuing appointees who failed to declare at the beginning and those who served for one term but failed to declare when exiting commit grave breaches of the asset declaration law because it will be difficult to know what has been added to their assets and liabilities while they serve in office.

ALSO READ: The 18 Akufo-Addo ministers who fully complied with assets declaration law

A good number of office ministers and deputy ministers, however, do not appear to appreciate the assets declaration requirement at the end of the term. Here are some of the notable names in that list:

Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia: Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, declared his assets twice since coming into office. He first declared at the beginning of the first term, on January 27, 2017. When he was sworn into office in January 2021 to begin the second term he declared his assets again. The Fourth Estate’s checks revealed that he declared on February 8, 2021.

The Office of the Vice President explained to The Fourth Estate that vice-president complied with the asset declaration law based on the legal advise he received on the matter.

The Office said the exit declaration was within the same period as the beginning of the second term of the Akufo-Addo administration and the assets or content of the declaration was the same. In the vice-president’s view,  the declaration at the beginning of the second term covered the declaration at the end of the first term since the assets were the same.

However, the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Anticorruption Coalition (GACC), Beauty Emefa Narteh, said the Vice-President’s asset declaration deficit was disturbing.

“This is a surprise and a shock that a simple thing as asset declaration, the Vice-President was not minded to do the needful, I find this worrying.”

Below is the list of all ministers and deputy ministers in Akufo-Addo’s first and second terms who declared their assets once or twice:

Yaw Osaafo-Marfo: As a close ally of the president and an experienced legislator, he held the portfolio of senior minister during the first term of the Akufo-Addo administration. Although he is holding an advisory position now, he declared his assets once—February 10, 2017.  He did not declare his assets and liabilities when he exited office. He’s among those whose failure to declare is considered grave according to the Attorney-General’s explanation of the law.

Ken Ofori-Atta: The man in-charge of the public purse first declared his assets on March 14, 2017 and March 25, 2021, the day he was vetted for his second term as finance minister.

Kwaku Agyemang Kwarteng: The former Deputy Minister of Finance first fulfilled his constitutional obligation on September 6, 2017 and then on June 15, 2021, as a member of Parliament. He is now the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament.

Osei-Kyei-Mensah Bonsu: Currently the longest-serving lawmaker, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and MP for Suame was part of the parliament that passed the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) law, Act 550. But filed his assets and liabilities only once on September 14, 2017. He failed to declare at the end of the term and at the beginning of his second term. He’s among those whose failure to declare is considered grave according to the Attorney-General’s explanation of the law.

Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko: He was sacked on August 7, 2018, the former Energy did not declare his assets when he left office. He, however, did his entry declaration on March 14, 2017.

Joseph Dindiok Kpemka : The former Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice did not declare his assets when he left office. After his first declaration on September 14, 2017. He didn’t regularize his exit with assets and liabilities declaration when he exited office. He lost the 2020 polls as Tempane MP.

Ursula Owusu-Ekuful: The Minister of Communication filed his assets and liabilities with the Audit Service for the first time on September 14, 2017 and then on April 6, 2021 as a member of parliament. There was no sign of an exit declaration.

Adwoa Safo: The embattled Gender, Children and Social Protection minister did not declare her assets when she served as the Minister of State in charge of Procurement. The only time she did it was on April 7, 2021, as the minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah: The Information Minister filed two declarations on September 15, 2017 and January 25, 2021. He failed to file the exit declaration at the end of the first term of the administration.

Joe Ghartey: The former Railway Development Minister was not reappointed. He first declared his assets on March 15, 2017. When he handed over his declaration forms to the Audit Service on March 12, 2021, it was as a member of Parliament. He failed to declare at the end of the end of his ministerial appointment.

Bryan Acheampong: The Minister of State in charge of National Security (and later Interior) in Akufo-Addo’s first term and MP for Abetifi declared his assets only once on March 27, 2017.

Ambrose Dery: The Interior Minister also skipped one declaration. His first was done on March 10, 2017 at the beginning of the first term and at the beginning of the second term on April 29, 2021.

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey:  The Foreign Minister and a former MP for Gbawe also filed her declaration twice, instead of thrice, on March 16, 2017, and February 9, 2021.

Dr Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng: The former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation did not declare his assets when he left office. The one he did was on March 14, 2017.

Dr Archibald Letsa: The Volta Regional Minister did not declare his assets when he assumed office in 2017. He, however, did it twice last year on March 1, 2021 and April 13, 2021.

John Peter Amewu: He has changed ministerial portfolios thrice, from the Lands and Natural Resources ministry, to Energy and to his current one at the Ministry of Railway Development. His asset declarations were done on March 15, 2017 and March 30, 2021.

Isaac Asiamah: A vociferous voice on sports accountability while in opposition, when he became minister, he only declared his assets and liabilities once—March 14, 2017.

Kweku Asomah-Cheremeh: One of the very few appointees to have held three portfolios in this administration, he declared his assets when he became the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister on April 17, 2017. But when he exited as Lands and Natural Resources Minister on January 7, 2021, he did not. He is now in China as Ghana’s Ambassador.

Other appointees who declared their assets only once during or after the first term of Akufo-Addo’s government are:

1.Mustapha Abdul Hamid, former Information Minister (later Inner Cities & Zongo Development. Now, Chief Executive,  National Petroleum Authority)

2. Samuel Kofi A. Dzamesi, former Minister, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs
3. Catherine Afeku, former Minister, Tourism, Arts & Culture
4. Nurah Gyeile, former Minister of State at the Ministry of Agriculture
5. Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu, former Minister, Western North
6. Kofi Amoakohene, former  Minister, Bono East Region
7. Solomon Namliit Boar, former Minister,  North East Region
8. Major Derek Oduro (rtd), former Deputy Minister, Defence
9. Mohammed Habibu Tijani, former Deputy Minister, Foreign Affairs
10. Charles A. Owiredu, Former Deputy Minister, Foreign Affairs
11. William Agyapong Quaitoo(resigned as Deputy Minister of Agriculture over ethnocentric comments.
12. Kennedy Osei Nyarko, former Deputy Minister, Food and Agriculture
13. Sagre Bambange, former Deputy Minister, Food and Agriculture
14. George Oduro, former Deputy Minister, Food and Agriculture
15. Alexander Kodwo Kom Abban, former Deputy Minister, Communications (moved from Health)
16. Tina Gifty Naa Ayele Mensah, Deputy Minister, Health
17. William Kwasi Sabi, former Deputy Minister, Monitoring & Evaluation
18. Barbara Asher Ayisi, former Deputy Minister, Works & Housing (moved from Education)
19. Michael Yaw Gyato, former Deputy Minister, Sanitation and Water Resource
20. Kwaku Agyenim Boateng, former Deputy Minister, Railway Development
21. Andy Appiah-Kubi, former Deputy Minister,  Railway Development
22. Patricia Appiagyei, former Deputy Minister, Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation
23. Pius Enam Hadzide, former Deputy Minister, Information (Moved from Sports ministry, now Chief Executive, National Youth Authority)
24. Kwasi Boateng Agyei, former Deputy Minister, Local Government & Rural Development
25. George Andah,former Deputy Minister, Communication
26. Perry C.K Okudzeto, former Deputy Minister, Information
27. Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, former Deputy Minister, Roads & Highways
28. Yaw Afful, former Deputy Minister, Aviation
29. Gifty Twum Ampofo, Deputy Minister, Education (former deputy minister, Gender, Children & Social Protection)
30. Paul Essien, former Deputy Minister, Chieftaincy & Religious Affairs
31. Martin Oti Gyarko, former Deputy Minister, Bono East Region
32. Hafiz Bin Salih, Regional Minister, Upper West (former Deputy regional minister, Upper West)
33. Gifty Eugenia Kusi, former Deputy Minister, Western Region
34. John Benam, former Deputy Minister, Northern Region

Article 286 (5) requires the President, Vice-President, the Speaker, Deputy Speakers of Parliament, ministers and deputy ministers of state, ambassadors, the Chief Justice and managers of public institutions in which the state has interest submit to the Auditor-General written declarations of all property or assets owned by, or liabilities owed by them, whether directly or indirectly.

Per the law, by the end of the President’s first term, all his appointees should have declared their assets twice—before or when they assume power and when the term ends—according to Article 286 and the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act.

Section 1(4) of the Act clarifies when this should be done:

“The declaration shall be made by the public officer— (a) before taking office; (b) at the end of every four years; and (c) at the end of the term of his office and shall in any event be submitted not later than 6 months of the occurrence of any of the events specified in this subsection.”

For those who were called back in the second term, which began on January 7, 2021, they were to march back to the Audit Service and hand over the list of their assets and liabilities. This will make it a third declaration for this group.

Section 4 of Act 550 requires public office holders to declare their assets and reliabilities related to:

(a)lands, houses and buildings;
(b) farms;
(c) concessions;
(d) trust or family property in respect of which the officer has beneficial interest;
(e) vehicles, plant and machinery, fishing boats, trawlers, generating plants;
(f) business interests;
(g) securities and bank balances;
(h) bonds and treasury bills;
(i) jewellery of the value of ¢5 million [now ¢500] or above; objects of art of the value of ¢5 million or above;
(j) life and other insurance policies;
(k) such other properties as are specified on the declaration form

You can reach the writer of this story, Seth J. Bokpe, via email at [email protected] You can follow him on twitter @thekekeli

Adwoa Adobea-Owusu, Evans Aziamor-Mensah, Paul Gozo, Clement Edward Kumsah & Prosper Prince Midedzi of The Fourth Estate also contributed to this story.