In a significant move to strengthen oversight of public spending, President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Dr. Abdul-Baasit Aziz-Bamba as the Acting Director-General of the newly established Value for Money Office. The appointment was announced in an official statement from the Presidency on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
The decision aligns with Article 195(1) of the 1992 Constitution and Section 14(1) of the Value for Money Office Act, 2026 (Act 1172). Dr. Aziz-Bamba will serve in an acting capacity pending the formal advice of the Governing Board, issued in consultation with the Public Services Commission.
The Value for Money Office was created under legislation assented to by President Mahama in May 2026. Its core mandate is to ensure that every cedi of public expenditure delivers real public benefit. The Office is expected to scrutinise major government contracts, issue mandatory Value for Money Certificates (especially for high-value and single-source procurements), set cost benchmarks, monitor compliance across Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and help curb inflated contracts, cost overruns, abandoned projects, and wasteful spending.
Dr. Abdul-Baasit Aziz-Bamba is a distinguished Ghanaian legal academic and practitioner with strong international credentials. Until this appointment, he served as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana School of Law.
Academic background
He holds both a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) and a Master of Laws (LLM) from Harvard Law School in the United States. He also earned his professional law qualification (Barrister-at-Law) from the Ghana School of Law.
At Harvard, he worked as a teaching assistant to Professor Lucie White between 2007 and 2009 and served as an LLM advisor to newly admitted students for two consecutive years. He has also assisted Professor E.V.O. Dankwa at the University of Ghana Faculty of Law.
Teaching and research
At the University of Ghana School of Law, Dr. Aziz-Bamba has taught a wide range of subjects, including:
- Law and Society
- Constitutional Law
- Jurisprudence
- Human Rights Law
- Natural Resources Law
- Investment and International Commercial Arbitration
His scholarly work focuses on the intersections of criminal law, law and development, constitutional law, and human rights.
Professional experience
Beyond academia, he has practised law in Accra and held senior roles at the Legal Resources Centre, a human rights and development-oriented organisation. Positions there included Legal Officer, Legislative Analyst and Specialist, Director of Programs and Projects, and Associate Executive Director.
He has provided consultancy and advisory services to several local and international organisations, including:
- Friedrich Ebert Foundation (leadership training for young political party leaders)
- UK Department for International Development (alternative livelihoods)
- World Bank (access to justice and court users)
- Committee of African Studies at Harvard University (property rights)
- Government of Ghana (legislative work and training for the Office of the Attorney-General)
- ActionAid International (rights-based approaches to development)
- ECOWAS (harmonisation of business laws in West Africa)
He previously served as a Non-Executive Director of GCB Bank from 2013 to 2017 and has been associated with private legal practice, including work with the firm Ayine and Felli.
The Presidency described the appointment as an important step toward operationalising the Value for Money Office. It is expected to enhance scrutiny of public expenditure, reduce waste, and ensure that government spending produces tangible benefits for Ghanaians.
Dr. Aziz-Bamba’s combination of advanced legal training, academic expertise in constitutional and public law, practical experience in governance and development work, and prior board-level exposure in the financial sector positions him as a suitable figure to help establish the technical and institutional foundations of the new Office.
The official statement was signed by Felix Kwakye Ofosu, MP, Spokesperson to the President and Minister for Government Communications.
As Ghana continues efforts to improve fiscal discipline and public financial management, the performance of the Value for Money Office under its new leadership will be closely watched in the months ahead.
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