Government will not recall Domelevo despite petitions, says Akufo-Addo

Pressure groups in the country had petitioned President Akufo-Addo to recall the Auditor General, Daniel Domelevo, from leave, but their petition has been rejected

Joseph Appiah-Dolphyne July 18, 2020

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President Akufo-Addo has dismissed requests by civil society organisations (CSOs) demanding the reinstatement of the Auditor General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, after he was ordered to take his accumulated leave.

“The president encourages people to be citizens and not spectators and therefore, your petition is welcome and its contents have duly been noted,” a statement issued by the secretary to the president, Nana Asante Bediatuo, said.

“However, the position of the president as contained in the letter dated 3 July 2020 from this Office to the Auditor General remains the same.”

Unable to grant petition

The statement said the concerns raised by the petitioners have already been considered by President Akufo-Addo.

It said the Office of the President is, therefore, able neither to grant the request in the petition nor to recall the Auditor General from leave.

“The arguments made in your petition were considered prior to the president taking the decision to request Daniel Domelevo to take his accumulated leave from 1 July 2020.

“Accordingly, the president is unable to grant the request in your petition,” the statement said.

The pressure group OccupyGhana has been leading the charge for President Akufo-Addo to reverse the decision on Domelevo’s leave.

The president last month directed Domelevo to take his annual leave, which had accumulated to over 100 days.

He later extended the leave, previously caculated to amount to 123 days, to 167 days, backed by Sections 20 (1) and 31 of the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651).

However, the government was widely criticised for the decision. An alliance of pressure groups initiated a petition to have the decision overturned.

Embarrassing government

Domelevo has responded to the order to proceed on leave, saying his work was embarrassing the government.

In a letter addressed to the president, he said he felt the order to him to take his leave was not in good faith.

“Previous correspondence from the Chairman of the Audit Service Board (who works at the Office of the Senior Minister) together with public pronouncement by Ministers make it clear that the Auditor General’s work is embarrassing the government,” a section of his letter read.

“The office must have been aware also that several appointees of the President, have not, since 2017 taken their annual leave to date. The direction therefore that I proceed on leave, oblivious of the other workers similarly circumstanced, gives the impression that the decision is not taken in good faith,” Domelevo said.

Daniel Domelevo response to Office of the President, 3 July 2020