Declare your assets by March 31 or be removed from office - President Mahama warns appointees

President John Dramani Mahama has warned that he will take drastic and extreme measures against any appointees who fail to declare their assets by the deadline he has set.

He stated that those who do not comply with the directive could face removal from office.

Addressing the press on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, after declaring his assets, President Mahama stated that he has instructed his Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, to notify all appointees to declare their assets by March 31, 2025.

“I've asked the Chief of Staff to send word to all appointees to ensure that they declare their assets by the end of the first quarter of this year, that is by 31st March 2025. I wish to stress that any appointee failing to meet this deadline would face severe sanctions, not excluding removal from office,” he stated.

The sixth president of the 4th Republic, reiterating his commitment to the fight against corruption and promoting transparency and accountability within his administration, emphasised the seriousness of the assets declaration process, demanding full compliance from his appointees.

“I have also taken this step to send an unmistakable signal to all public office holders, especially those that I have appointed, that I take the declaration of assets very seriously and expect full compliance from them,” he continued.

President Mahama, explaining his decision to publicly declare his assets to the Auditor-General, stated that it is intended to enforce openness and serve as an effective tool to eradicate and prevent corruption.

“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 assets declaration.

“I've always maintained that while it is all well and good to punish corruption, a more effective way of addressing the canker is preventing it from occurring in the first place,” he said.

He added, “I honestly believe that if properly curated and enforced, the assets declaration process can become a sustainable tool for tackling corruption. Corruption by nature is insidious and thrives under the cover of darkness. The more light that is shown on it, the more likely that it will be fought successfully.”

Article 286 mandates public office holders, including the president and his appointees, to complete and submit Assets Declaration Forms to the Auditor-General’s office.

MAG/EK



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