You’re Working Against Public Interest – Apaak Tackles A-G

MP for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak, has accused the Auditor General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, of not working to protect the public purse, but rather enhancing the dissipation of public resources.

Dr Apaak is wondering why the A-G has refused to disallow and surcharge to recover public funds just as his predecessor, Daniel Yaw Domelevo did.

“Why has the current Auditor General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, refused to use the power to disallow and surcharge to recover public funds when Daniel Yaw Domelevo used same to recover GH 66million?” Dr Apaak asked in a statement.  

He said the power to disallow and surcharge was affirmed by the Supreme Court in the OccupyGhana case, and Daniel Yaw Domelevo gave it effect, until he was hounded out of office.

However, Mr Asiedu, has refused to use this power/authority.

Dr Apaak bemoaned that the 2020 & 2021 AG reports on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) alone, which Mr Aseidu superintended over, indicate that GHS12billion & GHS17billion cannot be accounted for respectively, yet, he is not surcharging.

As a member of the Public Accounts Committee, the lawmaker indicated that he confronted him on this matter and hoped that the A-G would be gingered to apply the power to disallow and surcharge in the public interest, but he has not.

“I’m now convinced that the current A-G is not working in the public interest, he is not helping to protect the public purse. In fact, he is enhancing the dissipation of public resources,” Dr Apaak stated.  

He said it is shameful that rather than working against corruption, the refusal of Mr Asiedu to disallow and surcharge is enhancing corruption.

He added that an A-G whose work is against the public interest is not fit for purpose and ought not be tolerated.