Today, Wednesday, May 7, marks the final day of a three-day extension granted by President John Dramani Mahama to political appointees who failed to meet the initial asset declaration deadline of March 31.

The extension, announced during the official launch of a new Code of Conduct for government appointees on Monday, was accompanied by a stern warning from the president, who emphasized that non-compliance would carry severe consequences.

“If by close of day, Wednesday, 7th May 2025, any of you still fail to declare your assets, count yourself automatically dismissed because when it comes to protecting the integrity of this government, I will not compromise,” President Mahama said during the launch event in Accra.

A recent investigation by The Fourth Estate highlighted the scope of the issue, revealing that several top government officials had not fulfilled the constitutional requirement. Among them are nine out of 55 ministers and deputy ministers, eight out of 32 presidential staffers, and 37 out of 84 heads of state institutions appointed between January 15 and March 18.

President Mahama, who submitted his own asset declaration to the Auditor-General on February 18, had directed all appointees to comply by March. Some disciplinary measures were already taken against those who failed to do so by the original deadline.

These included the forfeiture of three months’ salary, which the president ordered to be donated to the Ghana Medical Trust Fund.

The pressure for accountability mounted after prominent voices, including former Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelevo, called on the president to dismiss defaulters.

Asset declaration for public officials is governed by the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act, 1998 (Act 550), which requires declarations before assumption of office, every four years thereafter, and upon leaving office. The law gives officials up to six months to complete the process in any of these scenarios.

Further, Section 8 of the Act mandates that instances of non-compliance be referred to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for investigation and appropriate action.