There is nothing wrong with the president appointing his relatives into government – Governance expert
Former UN advisor on governance, Prof Agyeman Duah has waded into the conversation of conflict of interest in the public service sectors, as sections of the Ghanaian public are mounting pressure on the president to sack the finance minister, Ken Ofori Atta who is his cousin.
Speaking on TV3’s GhanaTonight, the professor intimated that there is nothing wrong with a politician or a public service officer appointing his relative into office as far as the person is competent.
“There is nothing wrong appointing your brother or son, even America democracy that we tend to admire, Kennedy appointed his own brother as Attorney General and I think when former president Kuffour appointed his brother as Defense Minister, there was nothing wrong with that, those are really not the critical issues.”
Prof. Agyeman Duah stated that a situation where money is involved and has the tendency of benefiting the said relative due his or her influence is what should be the focus.
“Where money or resource are involved where there is the higher likelihood of somebody taking cover under the position and the connections available to him to kind of swindle the country, that is where I think my priority will be, because when you are to make big decisions that affect all of us and the time you are closely connected to some institutions through which these decisions perhaps may pass on institutions that may be used in the implementation closely related to you then there is the likelihood that perhaps you made that decision knowing too well that certain benefits will screw to that institution that you belong to,” he explained.
The governance expert concluded that the optics of good governance is what must stand tall in every deals of the public servant. “Some people might not think it matters so far as there is transparency and all, sure is possible but the optics, you also have to be mindful of the optics of good governance,” he said.
By: Agaatorne Douglas Asaah | myactiveonline.com
