Call Bank of Ghana to order-Minority to President Mahama

Minority spokesperson on Finance Dr. Anthony Osei, has asked President John Dramani Mahama to call the governing board of Bank of Ghana to order.

According to him, the decision by the Bank of Ghana to spend a colossal Ghc2million to purchase gold watches for its retiring staff was in bad taste.

Speaking to Fiifi Boafo, host of Oman FM’s National Agenda show on Thursday, Dr. Akoto Osei, who is also the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo said he would have called the board of Bank of Ghana to order if he were to be the President.

“I will call the board of Bank of Ghana to order if I was the President,” he suggested.

He was however not sure whether a serious action would be taken against the board of BoG because arguing that it had been the practice of Mahama administration not to punish wrong doers.

Dr. Akoto Osei accused the BoG for not realizing the financial crisis the country is going which has compelled government to subscribe to three year austerity programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Bank of Ghana has served a document to the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to single source the procurement of ladies and gents gold watches valued at EUR 450,000 to Messrs ‘A’ Swiss Watch Company Limited in Accra.

Per this decision, BoG is expected to spend half a million dollars on 72 pieces of gold watches comprised of 18 karat of ladies gold watches that is 25 units and 18 karat of gents gold watches which is 48 units.

The watches would be given to workers of the bank who “had served with the Bank for 30 years or more and are due to retire compulsorily from the service of the Bank in the years 2016 and 2017”

But Dr. Akoto Osei who criticized the bank’s decision said: the action of BoG does not give a good indication of a nation that is trying to manage its resources well.”

“When a nation is in serious financial crisis you don’t throw money away by buying expensive watches,” he said, adding “They should have known that we are in crisis and so should have been meticulous.”

Story By: Michael Creg Afful

#politics #News #Latestinghana #Headlinesnews