President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned his ministers and senior government officials to ensure strict compliance with the law, warning that the upcoming 2025 Auditor-General’s report will place their performance under intense scrutiny.

The President delivered the warning during a question-and-answer session at a presidential dialogue with civil society organisations on Monday, where several ministers and top officials were in attendance.

“The 2025 audit reports will be the report of these same officials sitting here,” President Mahama stated, urging them to “check your ministries and make sure that everything is being done right.”

He disclosed that work on the report is already underway and assured that, once completed, it will be thoroughly reviewed for evidence of financial misconduct and possible criminal activity, in line with existing accountability processes.

President Mahama further revealed that new courts established by the Chief Justice to handle cases arising from Auditor-General’s reports are now operational. These courts, he said, will be used to pursue both financial surcharges and criminal prosecutions where necessary.

Addressing public concerns about the pace of accountability for alleged wrongdoing under previous administrations, the President defended the government’s approach, insisting that due process must be respected.

He emphasised that Ghana’s constitutional framework guarantees the presumption of innocence and requires thorough investigations before any case is brought before the courts.

“Better to investigate properly and take a well-prepared case to court than to rush and have it dismissed,” he noted.

According to him, the Ministry of Justice is currently handling multiple cases simultaneously while preparing additional ones, and he appealed to the public for patience.

President Mahama reiterated that while the justice process may be slow, it remains the only legitimate path under the rule of law, stressing that Ghana must uphold its constitutional order rather than sacrifice it for speed.