Mahama promises ‘one-district one-AG’s office

The National Democratic Congress is promising a deepened decentralisation of the Attorney General’s Department through the establishment of district offices across the country to ensure prompt prosecution of cases.

According to the party, every Metropolitan, Municipal and District assembly in Ghana will have a representative each from the Attorney General’s Department which is responsible for public prosecutions.

“…Every district assembly, municipal and metropolitan will now have a dedicated representative of the AG to help in the prosecution of cases in our quest to fight corruption,” Employment and Labour Minister, Haruna Iddrisu announced Saturday at the launch of the NDC 2016 manifesto in Sunyani.

Currently, the AG Department has offices at the regional levels with legal staff who are inadequate to cover their jurisdiction. Mr Iddrisu who is the member of parliament for Tamale South rejected assertion by opponents that the John Mahama-led NDC manifesto failed to touch on how it is going to fight corruption.

He said critics jumped the gun with their criticism, noting that a whole chapter of the 2016 blueprint of the NDC has been dedicated to corruption because that is one issue which is at the heart of the party and its candidate, President Mahama who is seeking a second term in this year’s presidential election.

“There were many who jumped into a conclusion that the NDC manifesto was silent and quite on corruption. That cannot be the case and that will not be the case and there’s a dedicated commitment and chapter on combating corruption, white collar criminality , illegal trafficking and money laundering,” he said.

“President Mahama pledges to the people of Ghana that the NDC will continue to make corruption a high risk activity punishable in accordance with rule of law,” he said, assuring that the various investigative and prosecution bodies will be strengthened to support quest to fight corruption.

Mr Iddrisu said they have recognised that corruption has adverse effect on poverty, inequality, economic growth and development, adding “corruption has a debilitating effect on governance and even can wane public confidence in the political system.