'Declare and then what?' – Miracles Aboagye attacks asset declaration system

Dennis Miracles Aboagye, a former presidential staffer, believes asset declaration is ineffective. He says the current system is broken and outdated.

He questions its purpose: “What do we intend to achieve with asset declaration?” Aboagye has declared his assets twice but feels it doesn’t matter. “Nobody knows what I put in there,” he stated.

On Newsfile, he called for either scrapping or overhauling the system. “We should stop wasting time discussing it,” he said. He advocates for reform instead of continuing the current process.

Aboagye served as a local government policy lead during Akufo-Addo's presidency. He noted that President Akufo-Addo made asset declaration mandatory, though it wasn’t televised.

“He had the whip, but maybe didn’t use cameras,” Aboagye explained. He coordinated receipts from all MMDCEs across the country under this rule.

He described the process as structured and enforced with coordinators involved. Ekow Essuman was an anchor at the presidency ensuring compliance. Aboagye engaged each of the 261 MMDCEs to collect proof of their declarations.

The process reached Cabinet level and was mandated for all appointees. The former Chief of Staff would ask him about outstanding declarations from others.

Despite this structure, Aboagye criticized the entire process as flawed. “The current form is outmoded and a complete waste of time,” he emphasized.

He found the asset declaration form cumbersome and difficult to use. “It’s a big form that you have to fold multiple times,” he said.

He also pointed out that some required information does not apply to their context. “I think it should be simplified,” he added.

Aboagye criticized how completed forms are handled after submission. “I give my form to someone who doesn’t open it,” he said, calling it a waste of time.

He highlighted that there’s no mechanism for updating declarations after submission. If someone disposes of an asset later, how can they update their declaration?

For him, discussions about who has declared what miss the main issue at hand. “What President Mahama has done is nothing new,” he remarked.

Aboagye reiterated that Ghanaians should not view this as progress. “Maybe only difference is that there are cameras on it now.”