Minority Leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has descended heavily on the Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over claims that he was a board member when the Bank of Ghana began the process of getting a new head office.
“For the records, the Bank of Ghana under the erstwhile Mahama/NDC administration never awarded a contract for the construction of this new Head Office,” Dr Ato Forson stated.
“We therefore challenge the likes of Ahiagbah and his NPP apologists to show evidence to the contrary if they have any.”
This comes in the wake of mounting pressure on the Bank of Ghana to discard plans of continuing with the project after it recorded a GH¢60.8 billion loss in 2022.
The Central Bank, though having explained the circumstances that led to the loss, is also said to have recorded a negative equity of GH¢55.1 billion.
Notwithstanding, the Bank is said to be erecting a new head office, which is estimated at GH¢250 million.
The Minority in Parliament on Tuesday, August 8 gave the Governor of the Bank, Dr Ernest Addison, 21 days within which to vacate his position, together with his two deputies, over what members describe as waste.
But NPP’s Communications Director, Richard Ahiagbah, disclosed in a media report that the Minority Leader was a board member of the Bank when the processes for a new head office began.
This, the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam MP denies.
“For the records, I was not part of the processes for the construction of this new Head Office building, and the Bank of Ghana Board never began such processes for the construction of this new Head Office building at Ridge.”
He added that no land was purchased anywhere in Accra for the construction of a new head office.
“We maintain that the decision by the current Bank of Ghana Management and Board to construct an ultra-modern Head Office building at a time that the Bank of Ghana has recorded a loss of GhS60.8 billion and a negative equity of GHS55.1 billion; at a time when the ordinary Ghanaian is struggling to make ends meet, is a reckless and misplaced priority.
“No attempt at equalization can redeem the historical collapse and mismanagement of the Bank of Ghana by this Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government, alongside Governor Addison and his management. The countdown to the resignation of the Governor and his deputies is still on.”