Miracles Aboagye, a close aide to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has emphasized that asset declaration was a central concern during the tenure of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. His remarks follow growing public approval of former President John Mahama’s recent initiatives to promote transparency.
Commenting on The Fourth Estate’s investigative report — highlighted on JoyNews’ Newsfile — which exposed some current government officials for failing to declare their assets, Mr. Aboagye defended the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration’s commitment to accountability.
He noted that President Akufo-Addo personally took steps to ensure his appointees complied with the constitutional mandate to declare assets. Mr. Aboagye claimed he was directly involved in enforcing compliance among appointees.
“What the current president is doing isn’t a novelty. Under Akufo-Addo, the practice was already in place — the difference is, he didn’t publicize it. I remember coordinating the asset declaration receipts of all MMDCEs nationwide. It was strictly enforced, and Ekow Sumah, who led the effort from the Presidency, made sure no one skipped it,” Aboagye recounted.
His statement comes as many citizens laud Mahama’s administration for its apparent transparency and visible efforts to enforce asset declaration laws. Still, Mr. Aboagye challenged the notion that the Mahama-led initiative sets a new benchmark, arguing that the NPP government was equally committed to integrity, just without the media spotlight.
“The only real distinction is the publicity. Under Akufo-Addo, officials were still required to show proof of compliance — he personally checked for the receipts,” he concluded.
