Office of the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo has brought out a statement by way of response to the Auditor General’s claims that, the proceed on leave directive is unconstitutional and has therefore called on the president to reconsider his decision.
It must be recalled that, the Auditor General, Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo penciled a 3 paged letter dated July 3, 2020 to the president to reconsider his decision for him to proceed on his accumulated leave.
Per the statement from the Auditor General he was fully aware that his work “was embarrassing the government,” the directive had a serious implications for the constitutional independence of the office of the Auditor General.
The statement continued that, the action by the President was in bad faith as “the office must have been aware also that several appointments of the President, have not, since the year 2017 taken their annual leave to date.”
The attention of the President has captured the letter from the Auditor General. The 4 paged letter dated 3rd July, 2020 from the office of the President signed by the Secretary of the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante.
In response to the claims of the Auditor General, the statement noted, “First of all, for the avoidance of any doubt, your accumulated annual leave of 123 working days, which you were directed to take effect from Wednesday, 1st July 2020, was in respect of the period 2017 to 2019, which you had worked without taking annual leave, and did not include the year 2020. If however, you have decided fo include your annual leave for the year 2020, then it is expected that you will resume with after a well-deserved leave of 167 working days, with effect from 1st July, 2020.”
Also the statement “sought to correct the woring impression you have sought to create in the public domain regarding the President’s directive to you to proceed on your accumulated leave.”
It refuted the assertions of Mr Daniel Yaw Domelevo that, the decision by the President was not taken in good faith.
It said, “The assertion that the decision for you take your accumulated annual leave was not taken in good faith is also unfortunate and without any foundation.”
“Accordingly, you cannot forgo your accumulated annual leave. Furthermore, you cannot offer to take cash in exchange for your accumulated annual leave. Such an offer, if accepted, would amount to an agreement which may be void under section 31 of the Labour Act,” it emphasized.
The letter further indicated that, the assertion of Mr Domelevo to waive his entitlement in annual is unlawful and misconcerned.
“It was for this very reason that section 31 of the Labour Act was enacted. And this is why your annual leave accumulated, and also why the unfortunate conception has developed where accumulated leave is taken as terminal leave by many people in the public service,” it added.
The statement further stressed that “the directives of the President stands, as amended above to 167 working days, with effect from 1st July, 2020.”
Source; opera news
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