Akufo-Addo Extended Auditor-General’s Contract to Safeguard Post-Office Interests – Vitus Azeem

Anti-corruption campaigner Vitus Azeem has expressed concerns over President Akufo-Addo’s decision to extend the contract of Auditor-General Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu by an additional two years.

The extension, announced in a notice from the Audit Service dated July 19, allows Mr. Asiedu to remain in office beyond his original retirement date of August 1, 2024.

However, in an interview on JoyNews’ News Desk on Thursday, June 20, Mr. Azeem suggested that this move undermines the perceived independence of the Auditor-General.

He argued that the extension raises suspicions that the Auditor-General might be inclined to favor the president and his appointees.People will perceive that the current Auditor-General is colluding with the president and his appointees, and that he aims to please them,” he stressed.

Mr. Azeem also highlighted the controversial departure of former Auditor-General Dr. Daniel Yao Domelevo in 2020, which was linked to disputes over his date of birth, as a point of comparison to underscore the contentious nature of these appointments.

He further criticized the extension as a strategy by President Akufo-Addo to “protect his future immediately after leaving office so the Auditor-General will not come after him and his appointees.”

While acknowledging that the constitution permits extensions for certain officials, Mr. Azeem emphasized that the context and implications of this specific extension cast doubt on the commitment to maintaining an independent and effective anti-corruption framework.