Appointees must stay in Ghana for one year after office — Kofi Bentil proposes

Honorary Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has proposed that political appointees should be required to remain in Ghana for at least one year after leaving office to account for their stewardship.

According to him, the proposal should form part of a code of conduct for public office holders and be enforced by future Presidents as a measure to promote accountability.

Mr. Bentil made the proposal while contributing to discussions on Accra-based TV3's KeyPoints programme on Saturday, June 27, amid ongoing developments surrounding former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

The former minister is facing corruption and corruption-related charges filed against him by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).

He is currently in the United States, where he is reportedly receiving medical treatment, while the Office of the Attorney General has submitted a formal extradition request to the United States Department of Justice.

Lawyers for Mr. Ofori-Atta have also disclosed that he has obtained permanent residency in the United States following recent immigration issues that reportedly resulted in his detention in the ICU.

Speaking on the matter, Mr. Bentil argued that public officials should be made to remain in the country after leaving office to enable state institutions to hold them accountable when necessary.

“As part of a code of conduct, I am proposing that future Presidents must ensure that all their appointees stay in the country for at least one year after leaving office,” he said.

He explained that investigating alleged misconduct while officials remain in office is often difficult because of the influence and powers associated with their positions.

“When a person is in power, it is difficult to deal with their infractions. It is only when they leave power that you can do that,” Mr. Bentil stated.

The IMANI Africa vice president further proposed that the requirement should be linked to the country's asset declaration regime and incorporated into the code of conduct governing public officials.