Prof Asare Expresses Surprise at Attorney-General’s Inaction on Controller and Accountant-General’s NPP Poll Participation

Professor Kwaku Asare, a private legal practitioner, has raised concerns about the Controller and Accountant-General, Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, allegedly violating the constitution by submitting forms to participate in the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) parliamentary primary. Prof Asare referenced a Supreme Court ruling prohibiting civil servants from overtly engaging in politics, emphasizing that Kwaning-Bosompem should either be prevented from contesting or compelled to resign, a move that Prof Asare finds surprising in the absence of action by the Attorney-General.

Expressing his shock at the news of the Controller and Accountant-General’s potential political involvement, Prof Asare reiterated the Supreme Court’s clear stance that civil servants must resign from their positions before joining political campaigns or seeking nomination forms. He emphasized that active participation in political party activities by civil servants is unconstitutional, and he questioned why the Attorney-General has not intervened to stop Kwaning-Bosompem.

The Civil and Local Government Staff Association (CLOGSAG) has added its voice to the controversy, demanding the immediate resignation of the Controller and Accountant-General for engaging in partisan politics. Isaac Bampoe Addo, Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, referred to Ghana’s Civil Service regulations, highlighting the prohibition against civil servants participating in active partisan politics while still in service. Drawing attention to past dismissals of civil servants involved in open partisan politics, Bampoe Addo argued that Kwaning-Bosompem should face similar consequences.

Kwaning-Bosompem, who picked up nomination forms for the NPP’s parliamentary primaries in the Akim Swedru Constituency on December 20, now faces calls for his resignation from both legal and professional circles. CLOGSAG’s Executive Secretary emphasized the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Neutrality Act of 2017, reiterating that civil servants must refrain from partisan activities, and urged a broader discussion on the accountability of political appointees in civil service positions.