OccupyGhana demands swift enforcement of Auditor-General’s findings after Mahama-led accountability meeting

Accra, Oct. 24, GNA. Pressure group OccupyGhana has called for immediate enforcement of the Auditor-General’s findings following a high-level meeting convened by President John Dramani Mahama to address issues of public financial accountability.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the group welcomed the meeting involving the President, Chief Justice, Attorney-General, and Auditor-General but cautioned that it must not become “publicity and short on results.”

OccupyGhana demanded the immediate resumption of disallowance and surcharge actions by the Auditor-General, as well as enforcement and prosecution by the Attorney-General, in line with the directives of the Supreme Court. It further called for “judicial support to ensure that these actions are sustained.”

The group referenced the 2017 Supreme Court ruling in its landmark case, which affirmed the Auditor-General’s constitutional mandate to disallow illegal expenditures and surcharge officials responsible for financial losses to the state.

“Every single day that the Auditor-General and Attorney-General fail to act is a continuing breach of the Constitution. The law does not need to be ‘strengthened’; it simply needs to be obeyed,” the statement emphasised.

President Mahama’s Monday meeting with key state actors sought to strengthen the enforcement of Auditor-General’s reports and establish special courts to expedite financial accountability cases.

OccupyGhana cited former Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelevo’s tenure between 2017 and 2018, during which 112 surcharge certificates were issued, earning Ghana commendation from the World Bank for its recovery efforts. “When enforced, it worked,” the group stated.

However, it expressed concern that such momentum had stalled, noting: “No known disallowances or surcharges have been made, and no funds have been recovered.” The group accused the current Auditor-General of defying both the Constitution and the Supreme Court without consequence.

OccupyGhana warned that Monday’s meeting would amount to little more than “photo opportunities presented as reform” unless it produced tangible outcomes.

“Ghana deserves institutions that act, not officials who only announce intentions,” it said, adding that “Ghanaians deserve accountability, not publicity.”