Sufficient resources at Administrator-General's Office vital

By Beatrice Asamani-Savage/Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA

Accra, Jan. 20, GNA - The Administrator-General's Office, would seek financial clearance next year in order to recruit more personnel and acquire logistics that would enable the Office to undertake its mandate effectively and efficiently.

Mr Yakubu Atchulo, the Director in-charge of Administration at the Office, who disclosed this said should his outfit receive sufficient financial and logistical resources, it would enhance assets management and improve smooth future transfer of political power in the country.

'If we get additional resources we can move into other areas and even get a software, which we can easily interface with all other government institutions in order to take inventory of State assets since every now and then new assets are being acquired,' he pointed out.

Mr Atchulo told the Ghana News Agency in an interview, on Thursday, that the Office intended to prepare an Asset Register for all government institutions to facilitate quick authentication of State assets.

He said it would also create a website that would enable the public to access information from the Office and contribute ideas and suggestions that would improve State assets and property management.

Until January this year, the Office lacked vehicles and the few workers there had to rely on commercial motor bikes (Okada) to do administrative errands.

For his part, Mr David Yaro, the Administrator-General, said the human resource, financial and logistical constraints of his office did not enable him to cross-check every information provided in the handing-over notes, but was relying on the integrity of the stakeholders as a measure of accuracy.

He therefore entreated the would-be Ministers of State to critically scrutinise their predecessors' handing-over notes so as to protect State assets and to perform their duties effectively.

He said should they find any State asset unaccountable for or missing, their predecessors should be held accountable.

That was why, he explained, the respective ministers were made to individually sign their handing-over notes, while their chief directors, who were the reporting officers, served as witnesses.

He said it had incorporated the activities the new Ministers would undertake in the first 30 days, 60 and 90 days on assumption of office, adding that although they could introduce their own novelties and approaches the guide would help them to settle down more quickly.

He said the notes covered assets and liabilities, including human resource, bungalows and other buildings, vehicles, technological and logistical assets, contractual agreements, projects, programmes and the bills being drafted to become laws.

He, therefore, advised individuals and media organisations that may have information about the whereabouts of any missing State vehicle or any other property to immediately inform the authorities concerned for prompt action.

The Presidential (Transition) Act, 845, promulgated in 2012, mandates the Administrator General to take inventory of State assets and liabilities and hand them over to the Office of the President.

It also establishes arrangements for political transfer of administration from an outgoing democratically-elected president and provides for other related matters.

GNA