Asset Declaration: Declared Assets Should Be Verified and Published – Mary Awelana Addah
The executive director for Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Mary Awelana Addah, has maintained that assets declared should be verified and published.
According to her, declaring assets without verifying and publishing them renders the declaration meaningless.
“We believe that assets that are declared must be verified. Because if they are declared and not verified, then it doesn’t make sense in declaring after all. And if these declared assets are not published, then who knows what is in there?” she questioned.
Speaking to Joy News on Monday, May 5, Madam Mary Awelana called for a robust asset declaration regime that includes mandatory publication of declarations to ensure transparency and accountability.
“When we talk about visibility, we are talking about the assets declared being published. We are talking about issues of ensuring that every public officer who needs to declare is in there.”
Read also: President Mahama Prohibits Government Appointees from Accepting Gifts
Madam Mary Awelana emphasized that an asset declaration law should be provided and captured in the code of conduct for public officers.
She further addressed the conflict of interests within the system, noting that these conflicts should be criminalized to be able to hold people responsible.
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She urged President Mahama to expedite the passage of the Code of Conduct Bill and advocated for a comprehensive asset declaration regime that addresses all conflict-of-interest issues, not just some.
“The onus lies on him now to support its passing, and all the issues are also within this bill: the gifts, the issues around conflicts of interest, and also the issues around asset declaration. We want an asset declaration regime that speaks to all the issues and not some.”
