The office of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has fired back at the Auditor General Daniel Domelovo criticizing his lack of understanding of the law.

This comes in the wake of concerns raised by Domelovo over the President's directive to take his accumulated leave.

Mr Domelevo had argued that based on recent labour law and practice, “no worker is deemed to have accumulated any leave on account of their having failed, omitted, neglected or even refused to enjoy their right to annual leave, which the law guarantees for their benefit, not the employer.”

However, a statement signed by the President's Executive Secretary Nana Asante Bediaduo, said: “the directive of the President stands”

“The President has at all times acted based on sound legal principles, the rule of law and good governance practices and the good people of Ghana cannot be misled by your lack of understanding of the position of the law, for which you may be forgiven since you are not a lawyer" a portion of the statement read.

Proceed On leave extended

The Office of the President has extended the leave period of the Auditor-General, Daniel Domelovo from 123 days to 167 effective July 1, 2020.

“First of all, for the avoidance of any doubt, your accumulated annual leave of 123 working days which you were directed to take with effect from Wednesday, 1 July 2020, was in respect of the period 2017 to 2019, which you had worked without taking any annual leave and did not include 2020. If, however, you have decided to include your annual leave for the year 2020, then it is expected that you will resume work after a well-deserved leave of 167 working days, with effect from 1 July 2020" the statement read.

Background

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo directed Mr Domelovo to take his accumulated annual leave of 123 working days effective Wednesday, 1 July 2020.

A statement released by the office of the President and signed by the Director of Communications, Mr Eugene Arhin on Monday, 29 June 2020, said: “The President’s decision to direct Mr Domelovo to take his accumulated annual leave is based on Sections 20(1) and Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), which apply to all workers including public office holders such as the Auditor-General.”

Mr Domelovo is said to have taken only nine days leave.