Justice Isaac Duose, Chairman of the Ghana@50 Commission of Enquiry, on Tuesday said the work of the body was becoming cumbersome due to improper record keeping by some district assemblies in respect of funds and logistics released towards the jubilee anniversary celebrations.
As a result, most witnesses, some of whom assumed duty well after the celebrations, were not able to render accounts for monies or proceeds that accrued from the celebrations.
"If public officers keep their records straight, it does not matter who takes over from them, the records would always be there to show the situation as it is" Justice Isaac Duose, Chairman of Commission said in Accra.
He said it was not right "to put the rotten meat in the pots" of former District Chief Executive's (DCE) because they had left office or because they belonged to another political party, and warned the witnesses to beware of their statements.
"You people should stop passing the buck.The commission is getting tired of all this blame game. By all means the buck will stop somewhere.
Your inability to keep proper records is making the work of the Commission difficult. You are prolonging our work and this is going to require more money," he said.
"I mean you can't talk about good governance, democracy and the rule of law when you do not keep proper records. This is not a chief's house where records are left to the imagination of someone."
Justice Duose declared that those officials whom allegations of impropriety have been levelled against by witnesses should appear before the Commission to clear their names "so that the passing of the buck would stop".
Districts in the Eastern Region appeared before the Commission's sitting on Tuesday. Most of them accounted for the GH¢ 10,000 that the Ghana @50 Secretariat provided to support activities of the anniversary celebrations.
However, there were varied responses on the issue of souvenirs that were meant to be sold and proceeds rendered to the Secretariat.
Some of the witnesses either blamed their DCEs for hijacking the sale of proceeds or one official or the other, especially storekeepers for not keeping proper account of receipts.