‘Dissolution is not absolution’ – AFAG demands accountability over dissolved state boards

The Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) has warned that the dissolution of the governing boards of nine state institutions must not be used as a means of escaping accountability.

The group said the decision by President John Dramani Mahama to dissolve the boards may be within his constitutional and statutory powers but stressed that administrative restructuring should not prevent scrutiny of how public resources were managed under the dissolved boards.

“Dissolution is not absolution, and administrative restructuring must never become a mechanism for escaping accountability,” AFAG said in a statement sighted by GhanaWeb on September 10, 2026.

According to the group, the institutions affected oversee significant public assets and financial interests, making it necessary for the government to ensure that the dissolution does not bring an end to investigations into any alleged financial irregularities.

AFAG said there have been reports and allegations of financial recklessness, questionable procurement practices, conflicts of interest and unauthorised expenditures involving some of the institutions.

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It stressed, however, that such allegations should be independently investigated rather than treated as proof of wrongdoing.

The group has therefore called on the Auditor-General to conduct comprehensive audits of the nine institutions covering the full tenure of the dissolved boards.

It wants the audits to examine procurement processes, contracts, related-party transactions, board-approved expenditures, asset transactions, consultancy payments and other financial commitments.

AFAG also urged the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Economic and Organised Crime Office to investigate any credible allegations of corruption, abuse of office, conflicts of interest and economic crimes, and prosecute persons found culpable.

The group further called on the government to explain the reasons for the dissolution, publish the relevant legal instruments and clarify the interim governance arrangements, insisting that changes to the boards should strengthen accountability rather than provide a “soft exit” for those who may have questions to answer.

MRA/BAI

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