Asset declarations must be open to public scrutiny – PPP Chairman

Nana Ofori Owusu is the National Chairman of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP). He has called for reforms to Ghana’s asset declaration laws. He wants public access to the declared assets of government appointees.

His comments follow media reports about nine ministers and deputy ministers. These officials allegedly did not submit their asset declaration forms by March 31. This was despite a directive from President John Dramani Mahama. The government has denied these claims, saying the media misreported the issue.

Mr. Ofori Owusu spoke on The Big Issue on Channel One TV. He criticized the government's decision to extend the deadline from March to May. He believes this undermines accountability and encourages complacency.

“I didn’t agree with the extension,” he said. “It makes people lax about the process.” He also called for a legal review of asset declarations. Current rules seal these documents, limiting transparency.

He argued that asset declarations should be public documents. “When you declare your assets, it is sealed,” he explained. “You and I cannot see it.” He believes people should be able to apply for this information under the Information Act.

“I should be able to see that when you came into office, you had one house; all of a sudden, you have 10 houses,” he suggested. “These things must be questioned; those are things the people are crying about.”