President Breaching Transition Act – NDC MPs

Haruna Iddrisu

Members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Parliament (MPs) have accused President Akufo-Addo of breaching some provisions of the Presidential (Transition) Act 2012, Act 845.

Leader of the Minority group, Haruna Iddrisu, claimed the President failed to furnish Parliament with copies of the handing over notes of the various ministries, departments and agencies from his previous administration, insisting that Section 6 of the Act “requires government to prepare the handing over notes 30 days to the presidential election.

“As you are aware, after a presidential election, some responsibilities and duties that are germane for the general governance of the country are placed on an incoming President,” he said at a press conference in Parliament yesterday.

“You will recall that pursuant to section 1 of the Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012 (Act 845), President Akufo-Addo constituted a transition team. It is, however, not enough to simply constitute a transition team. The team has specific responsibilities to undertake,” he argued.

The Tamale South MP said Section 7 of the Act, mandated the Administrator General to present the original copies of the notes to the President-elect, while he gives copies to Parliament, the Chief Justice, the Council of State and the Public Records and Archives Administrative Department.

“Where are the handing over notes?” Mr. Iddrisu asked rhetorically, and continued that MPs needed to know how the government had managed the country’s assets and other resources, adding that “the incoming ministers need the notes to guide them in policy making and implementation. The notes are needed for greater accountability in our governance.”

He argued that the absence of the handing-over notes to Parliament did not promote good governance and transparency, and stated that “the President is in breach of the provisions of the Presidential (Transition) Act.”

“We do not find that legally acceptable and in the interest of transparency and accountability,” he pointed out and said Parliament had no such record of any such handing over notes from any ministry, department or agency as required under section 7 of Act 845.

“That is in breach and is not good enough for a government that must be accounting to the people of Ghana and Parliament.

“So we are demanding respect to the letter and Act 845 that all handing over notes of ministries, departments and agencies are made available to Parliament  and that I believe will help our work as an institution that exercises oversight,” he said.

Mr. Iddrisu said the notes would assist the Appointments Committee of Parliament to subject nominees of the President to proper scrutiny.

“This year, vetting of minister nominees must not only be about curriculum vitae. We must go into records of persons who have exercised authority as ministers or heads of departments and agencies,” he said.

By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House

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