The Minority in Parliament has announced plans to write to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over the appointment of Dr. Johnson Asiama as Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG).
They cite concerns over his past legal troubles, alleging that he was facing charges—including fraudulent breach of trust, money laundering, and conspiracy—before the charges were withdrawn by President Mahama just days before his nomination.
At a press conference, Minority spokesperson Dr. Gideon Boako, Member of Parliament for Tano North questioned the integrity of the appointment, raising concerns about Dr. Asiama’s impartiality in dealing with BoG staff and banks involved in past financial controversies.
“The charges were very serious; and to drop those charges and appoint him as Governor, is problematic. It tells a lot about the integrity of our financial industry. It also raises questions about how he will treat staff of the Bank who cooperated with the Attorney General’s (AG) Department in initiating the case against him. His professional neutrality in dealing with the Banks and individuals who were charged with him; and whether he would not be favourable to reinstating the licenses of those banks in spite of their alleged misconduct, are some of the concerns we have to address.”
“We wish to draw the attention of the IMF to these disturbing developments from the government and call for strict scrutiny in their dealings with Dr. Johnson Asiama such that his actions or inactions do not lead us to any inconvenient destinations as far as our financial ecosystem is concerned.”
He warned that global financial institutions may hesitate to engage with Ghana due to the risk of the charges being reinstated under a future government, potentially raising the cost of international transactions.
The Minority also challenged the legality of Dr. Asiama’s assumption of office, emphasizing that his appointment requires prior consultation with the Council of State, which is yet to be constituted. They likened the situation to a judge assuming office without due process and urged Dr. Asiama to refrain from official duties until his appointment is formally approved.
In response to government spokesperson Felix Ofosu Kwakye’s defense that previous officials had been nominated before the Council of State’s formation, the Minority clarified that they are not against nominations but oppose appointees acting before due constitutional procedures are followed.
They insist that allowing Dr. Asiama to operate without proper approval breaches the constitution and must not be tolerated.
By Eugene Davis
