Copies of 2020 transitional handing over notes presented to Chief Justice

Copies of the 2020 transitional handing over notes have been presented to the Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, in his Chambers in Accra.

The Director of Administration at the Office of the Administrator-General, Alhaji Atchulo Yakubu, made the presentation in fulfilment of Section 7 (1) of the Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012 (Act 845).

The act mandates the Administrator-General to make available to the Chief Justice copies of the handing-over notes covering the four-year term of office (January, 7, 2017 – January 6, 2021) of the President, who holds Executive authority under Article 58 of the 1992 Constitution.

Apart from the Chief Justice, the Office of the Administrator-General is enjoined by Act 845 to present copies of the 2020 transitional handing-over notes to the Speaker of Parliament, the Council of State and the Public Records and Archives Administration Department (PRAAD).

Alhaji Yakubu said the handing-over notes would serve as a useful guide to the programmes and policies embarked upon by the current administration in the last four years.

Justice Anin Yeboah commended the Administrator-General for fulfilling his statutory mandate and doing it on time.

Background

The Presidential Transition Act is a law that details the processes to be followed for the smooth and orderly transfer of power from one administration to another following a general election.

Among some of the provisions in the act are the formation of a transition team, the preparation of handing-over notes and an inventory of all public assets.

Section 6 of the act also charges the Office of the President to prepare a handing over, which will cover all activities and programmes of the Presidency (President and Vice-President), ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and regional ministers, metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs).

“The handing over notes shall reflect the accurate development which had taken place during the tenure of office and the projections of development to take place before the end of the full tenure,” the act adds.

Per Section 6(4) of Act 845, the original and five other copies of the handing-over notes shall be presented to the Administrator-General 30 days before a presidential election.

Section 7 mandates the Administrator-General to present the original copy of the handing over notes to the person elected as President after the general election.

It further says the Administrator-General must retain one of the five copies and present the other four to the Chief Justice, the Speaker of Parliament, the Council of State and PRAAD.