The Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, has thrown her weight behind legislation aimed at investigating and retrieving unexplained wealth from both private and public officials.
Speaking on the sidelines of an anti-corruption engagement, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang affirmed the President John Mahama’s determination to push forward the revised Conduct of Public Officers Bill, with a strong focus on transparency, accountability, and institutional independence.
“We must ensure also that we have sustainable financing for anti-corruption institutions to reduce the influence and enhance independence,” she stated.
She promised that the incumbent government would revised the Conduct of Public Officers Bill to be presented before Parliament for deliberation, and that the drafting process would reflect the inputs of a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
“The revised Conduct of Public Officers Bill will contain the views of CSOs, Anti-Corruption Institutions, the media, the international community and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that this bill stands the test of time,” Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said.
Her call echoes the increasing public frustration over what many see as the unchecked accumulation of wealth by individuals in public office, often without clear, lawful means.
The government’s position on the matter appears to align with growing demands across Ghanaian civil society for tougher laws that can compel public servants to explain the sources of their wealth, with stiff penalties for those who fail to do so.
Anti-corruption campaigners have, for years, advocated for such measures as a way to stem the tide of abuse of office. While the current bill has gone through various stages of consultation since it was first drafted in 2013, it has not yet been passed into law.
The proposed revisions, according to Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, will address previous concerns about loopholes and enforcement capacity. In particular, she emphasised the need to insulate anti-corruption institutions from partisan interference through sustainable financing models.
“We must build institutions that can investigate and prosecute wrongdoing, regardless of political affiliation,” she said.
