Public office is for public agenda, not family and friends – Domelevo

Former Auditor-General and anti-corruption campaigner Daniel Yaw Domelevo has advised public officeholders to desist from involving their family and friends in the execution of their duties as government officials.

He explained that their work is to advance an agenda in the interest of the public, not their friends or family.

Domelevo, who mounted a spirited campaign against corruption as Auditor-General, stated that nepotism among public officials undermines the fight against corruption. He called on public officeholders to act ethically at all times in the interest of the public they serve.

“We are put in public office to discharge or prosecute the agenda of the country, not our family and friends’ agenda. Public officers must learn to separate themselves from their family and relatives when it comes to government business,” he advised on Channel One TV’s current affairs show, The Big Issue, Saturday.

Domelevo was commenting on the Special Report of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) that exonerated former President John Mahama of any wrongdoing related to the purchase of aircraft from Airbus SE when he was in government as Vice President and later President.

Although the report of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) exonerated former President John Mahama, the fact that his brother was an intermediary for Airbus SE raises the potential for a conflict of interest.

For Domelevo, government officials must not involve their family and friends in government business, as this practice does not support transparency in the execution of contracts, thereby creating room for corruption.