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Auditor-General Says Public Boards Irrelevant

By MyJoyOnline
General News Auditor-General Says Public Boards Irrelevant
SEP 20, 2018 LISTEN

Auditor General Daniel Domelevo has advocated the scrapping of Boards of some sensitive public offices, arguing they constitute an interference.

The tough-talking public servant who has accused his Board chairman and a former Auditor-General Prof. Edward Dua Agyeman, of undermining him said several countries do not have Boards for Auditor-General.

They rather have advisory boards, he said as part of his speech at the 3rd Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu memorial lecture to commemorate the life of Ghana's former Finance minister, Thursday.

The anti-corruption campaigner also observed that the tendency to bring back former government appointees to serve on government boards "leaves a lot to be desired".

"Some board members immediately they are appointed they think it is their second coming", he threw shades at his Board chairman, Prof. Dua Agyeman who was Auditor-General between 2001 and 2009 during the administration of John Agyekum Kufuor.

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Photo: Prof. Dua Agyeman has said the Auditor-General is not ready to work under supervision

He said the appointee-turned board member could rely on the staff he once worked with for information to "easily" undermine the new boss. Daniel Domelevo observed some Board members tend to disagree with new direction taken by the new head.

He said even when the law is brought to their attention, their reply is "and so what? We are the Board. We are in charge". He advocated reducing the influence of Boards by making them advisory than supervisory.

He dismissed suggestions by some corporate governance experts that Boards like that of Bank of Ghana and Auditor-General must be allowed to appoint the Chief Executive.

Mr. Domelevo suggested this would amount to copying blindly and jabbed that Ghana did not invent corporate governance practices.

The public servant who enjoys sizeable public adoration pointed out that some countries with better corporate governance reputations don't have Boards for offices like the Auditor-General while others have just advisory boards.

"Sierra Leone they borrowed our law and when they sent it to Sierra Leone, they made the Board an advisory. If you go to Kenya.. it is an advisory board.

"If you go to many countries, they don't have it. Go to the US, Britain and find out," he said.

Mr. Domelevo also criticised the Daily Guide newspaper which published a story accusing him of wrongdoing. The newspaper has been criticised by some who say the paper is being unjustly used to frustrate the Auditor-General's fight against corruption.

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