'It’s seriously embarrassing, we speak against it' – GII on Domelevo lock-out

Linda Ofori Kwafo of anti-graft body Ghana Integrity Initiative has described as “seriously embarrassing”, the changing of locks in the office of Auditor-General, Mr Daniel Domelevo after he proceeded on leave.

She said, “I’ve not seen anything like this before”.

Mr Domelevo, who is on a 167-day forced leave on the orders of President Nana Akufo-Addo, was denied entry to his office on Tuesday, 28 July 2020, as a result of the lock change, which was done on the orders of the Board of the Audit Service.

“I think we should all condemn it”, Ofori Kwafo told Kofi Oppong Asamoah on Class91.3FM’s mid-day news 12Live on Wednesday, 29 July 2020.

“We never knew that if you’re on leave and you’re not under any kind of investigation, you cannot pass by your office to pick an envelope or a document of what you’ve left there. Seriously? When did we realise how evil it is [for someone to pass by their office while on leave] to the extent that people change their lock. Is Domelevo under any kind of investigations”, she fumed.

She asked: “When the President goes on leave, do we lock his office, do we change the locks of his office?”

“We need to be more serious than we are in this country. To me, I think we’ve given the Board of the Audit Service too much power”, she asserted.

She demanded: “Show me any institution in this country that when people go on leave, if you don’t have any ulterior motive, you’ll change the locks of his office? What is this country coming to? “

“It is a serious indictment on the personality and the kind of office he has managed for these years and we, as a people should rise and speak against it”, she rallied.

Meanwhile, the Chair of the Audit Service Board, Prof Edward Dua Agyeman, has said the institution is “fed up” with the penchant of Mr Domelevo to “always” run to the media with issues.

“What’s this with Mr Domelevo always running to the media; is he a baby?” he asked in an interview with Francis Abban on Accra-based Starr FM on Wednesday, 29 July 2020 concerning the change of locks to his office.

“We are fed up with Domelevo always going to the media”, Prof Dua Agyeman fumed, adding: “He can go wherever he wants to”.

Explaining the reasoning behind the change of the locks, Prof Dua Agyeman said: “When Mr Domelevo left on the 1st of July, the Board felt there was the need to secure his office, so, the locks were changed and the keys were left where they belong”.

In a related development, AFROSAI-E, which is a regional organisation of Auditors-General from 26 English-speaking supreme audit institutions (SAIs), has written to President Nana Akufo-Addo to consider the adverse impact his forced leave directive to Ghana’s Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelevo risks having on good governance.

“I write to you on behalf of the Auditors-General of AFROSAI-E, to express our concern on hearing that the current Auditor-General of Ghana, Mr Daniel Domelevo, was compelled by the Office of the President, to go on immediate leave”, the letter said.



“We are deeply concerned about the grave repercussions of the infringement on the independence of the Auditor-General of Ghana”, the letter said, adding: “Effective SAIs enshrine principles of good governance and make a difference in the lives of citizens by contributing to accountability, transparency, integrity, staying relevant and leading by example”.

“To deliver these value and benefits, a SAI needs an enabling and conducive institutional framework. This includes independence as a primary requirement. We believe that since its establishment, SAI Ghana has made effective strides to institutionalised these values”.

Read the full letter below:

Mr. Nana Bediatuo Asante

Executive Secretary to the President

Office of the President

Jubilee House Accra

info@presidency.gov.gh

28July 2020

Dear Mr Asante,

AFROSAI-E CONCERNS REGARDING INDEPENDENCE OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL OF GHANA

I write to you with great appreciation for the ongoing efforts of the Office of the President to implement principles of good governance in Ghana.

Ghana is a founding member of AFROSAI-E, which is a regional organisation with the Auditors-General from 26 English-speaking supreme audit institutions (SAIs) as members.

I write to you on behalf of the Auditors-General of AFROSAI-E, to express our concern on hearing that the current Auditor-General of Ghana, Mr Daniel Domelevo, was compelled by the Office of the President, to go on immediate leave.



We are deeply concerned about the grave repercussions of the infringement on the independence of the Auditor-General of Ghana. Effective SAIs enshrine principles of good governance and make a difference in the lives of citizens by contributing to accountability, transparency, integrity, staying relevant and leading by example.

To deliver these value and benefits, a SAI needs an enabling and conducive institutional framework. This includes independence as a primary requirement. We believe that since its establishment, SAI Ghana has made effective strides to institutionalised these values.

The United Nations General Assembly resolution A/66/209, recognises that supreme audit institutions {SAIs) can accomplish their tasks objectively and effectively only if they—the organisation, its members and officials—are independent of the audited entity and are protected against outside influence.

The resolution further encourages member states to continue to apply, in a manner consistent with their national institutional structures, the SAI independence principles let out in the Lima Declaration of Guidelines on Auditing Precepts of 1977 and the Mexico Declaration on Supreme Audit Institutions Independence of 2007.

Enclosed with this letter, is a copy of the UN Resolution A/66/209.

On behalf of the Auditors-General, we appeal to your Office to consider the ramifications that these actions will have on the effectiveness of the SAI and good governance in Ghana.

Especially now, with the severe global economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, strong national institutions that work for the betterment of the public service are essential. We rely on your esteemed understanding regarding this matter.

Yours sincerely