President John Dramani Mahama has called for a fast-track legal system to swiftly prosecute and imprison public officials found guilty of mismanaging state resources.
Speaking at the 12th Annual Conference of Chairpersons of Governing Boards and Chief Executives of Public Services in Ho on Wednesday, October 8, the President expressed frustration over the recurring financial irregularities highlighted in the Auditor-General’s annual reports.
President Mahama revealed that he will meet with key stakeholders, including the Chief Justice and the Attorney General, to design a concrete accountability framework.
“I have a meeting on Thursday with the Chief Justice, the Attorney General, and others to find a final solution to this Auditor-General’s report,” he said. “Persons who are found guilty of infractions or who cause loss of public resources, we must have a fast-track process to Nsawam. Before you see Nsawam, six months. Until we do that, until there’s a deterrent, we’re going to come every year and hear the same stories.”
The President decried what he described as “recklessness with public funds and resources,” stressing that Public Accounts Committee hearings have become an annual ritual of embarrassment rather than an avenue for reform.
“Why must we, every year, congregate at the Public Accounts Committee and hear all kinds of atrocious things? It’s so pathetic,” he lamented.
According to him, the Auditor-General’s reports show infractions and misappropriations totaling about GH₵15 billion. He argued that plugging these financial leakages would significantly transform the country’s development.
“If we save 15 billion cedis, can you imagine what it could do?” he asked.
President Mahama further disclosed plans to strengthen the implementation of Auditor-General’s recommendations, pointing out that Audit Report Implementation Committees (ARICs) across ministries and agencies have so far failed to deliver meaningful results.
