By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Director of Advocacy and Policy Engagement at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to go beyond the Code of Conduct unveiled for his appointees and focus more broadly on public sector ethics and accountability.
Speaking on the Citi FM’s Breakfast Show, on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 — a day after the launch of the policy — Dr. Asante described the President’s initiative as a positive step in the fight against corruption.
However, he argued that Ghana requires deeper reforms in both the public and civil service sectors to address systemic ethical failures.
“A lot of the things that the president will do should be around public ethics, which we are not trying to enforce,” he stated.
Dr. Asante cited constitutional provisions under Article 284 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution — which bars public officials from placing themselves in situations of conflict of interest — as a strong foundation for improving ethical governance.
“There are some issues around the constitutional review process under Article 284, which we can use to address that. But currently, the code doesn’t address them.
“There is also the Public Financial Management Act, which requires that public officers comply with financial accountability standards.
“But while it is important, it has to be made public so that we can all hold public officers accountable,” he added.
