Audit Service Board Chair must go - Kumadoe tells Akufo-Addo

Security and Fraud Analyst, Richard Kumadoe, has made a call to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to remove the chairman of the Audit Service Board, Prof. Edward Dua Agyeman for what he describes as his arbitrary conduct leading to the forced retirement of the Auditor General, Mr. Daniel Yao Domelevo by the President.

He made this call in an interview with Berla Mundi on the New Day on TV3, Thursday, March 11.

Mr. Kumadoe was reacting to some allegations leveled against the chairman of the Audit Service Board for his claims into the nationality and date of birth of Mr. Domelevo, who was due to return to work on March 3, 2021, from his “forced” accumulated leave of 123 days which was extended to 167 working days by the President but instead was retired following the advice of the Audit Service Board.

“The President has a lot on his plate, he has more to do but I would call for an investigation, not just an investigation but the man’s attitude and presence as the Audit Board Chair has proven not to be productive, if you study Corporate Governance and you look at the functions and roles of audit, to the extent of the Audit Chair creating the scenario that is leading more to the situation of conflict of interest, he might need to be investigated but that must be a secondary matter, he should be let go and let a new board be formed” he charged.

“It’s the system, and once you get the system working, anybody you put there will get the job done but once people want to capitalize on the system, we might have even succeeded on removing the Board Chair but then again the system will favor some other people, I will agree there must be an investigation, I will agree the man will have to go, I will agree the system has to be improved so that the fight against corruption wouldn’t have to be detrimental to the people leading the fight”.

He admonished the President to strengthen and create an enabling environment and system that will safeguard the practice and individuals who would want to embark on the crusade against graft in our political apparatus.

Prior to the compulsory retirement of Mr Domelevo, the board chair had said he was due for retirement on June 1, 2020.

The board said this in a three-page letter addressed to Mr. Domelevo who was supposed to resume work on tomorrow Wednesday March 3 after proceeding on his compulsory leave.

In providing details to its claim, the Audit Service Board said in a letter dated 26th February 2021 that, “Records at the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) completed and signed by you indicate your date of birth as 1st June 1960 when you joined the scheme on 1st October 1978.

“The records show that you stated your tribe as Togolese and a non-Ghanaian. That your home town is Agbatofe.”

“On 25th October 1992, you completed and signed a SSNIT Change of Beneficiary Nomination form, stating your nationality as a Ghanaian and your home town as Ada in the Greater Accra Region.

“The date of birth on your Ghanaian passport number A45800, issued on 28th February 1996 is 1st June 1961. That place of birth is stated as Kumasi, Ashanti Region,” the correspondence stated.