Mahama’s Code of Conduct has a lacuna – Edem Senanu

Edem Senanu, Co-Chair of Citizen’s Movement Against Corruption has called on President Mahama to address what he has identified as a gap in the Code of Conduct for public officers which was introduced recently.

Edem Senanu explained that the Code of Conduct should have included a clause to caution public officers not to engage in any act to create an impression about conflict of interest or corruption.

Speaking on TV3’s Key Points, he said such a clause could guide public officers to be mindful of their conduct and probably prevented the Sammy Gyamfi dollar gift to Agradaa controversy.

He noted that the President must update the Code of Conduct to include a clause geared towards preventing the impression about a conflict of interest or corruption.

“What was very clear to me was the Code of Conduct, the one launched by the President clearly has a lacuna. Because one of the things you expect is that there should be some part of it that talks about if you did anything that brought the government into disrepute or if you appear to be living beyond your means or you took any actions that left the impression of a conflict of interest or of corruption so in other words in my view, you need a clause that will categorically state that public officers should not take actions that will seem to appear to put them into conflict of interest or raise issues of corruption.

“So that they are mindful of that. I think that that is necessary and that a categoric statement on appearance of conflict of interest is needed to upgrade the Code of Conduct,” he stated.

The anti-corruption campaigner also urged government to revisit the Conduct of Public Officers Bill and pass the bill to serve as a comprehensive piece of legislation for public officers.

The Acting CEO of Ghana GoldBoard, Sammy Gyamfi was involved in a controversy recently after a viral video showed him gifting dollar notes to Evangelist Nana Agradaa.

The video stirred backlash against Sammy Gyamfi while many called on the President to sanction him for such conduct as it is believed to have breached the Code of Conduct for state appointees.

In less than 24 hours since the video went viral, Sammy Gyamfi publicly apologised for his conduct and said his actions were a “private act of kindness” which was not intended to be made public.

He was subsequently pardoned by the President and cautioned to be of good behaviour with no further punitive action take against him.

Commenting on the decision by the President, Mr. Senanu said he expected not more than a caution from President Mahama.

“The caution was necessary. I think it was very important that this was not trivialized, not swept under the carpet. What was done to say come give an explanation and then the caution, that I thought was important,” he stated.

The post Mahama’s Code of Conduct has a lacuna – Edem Senanu first appeared on 3News.

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