A banking expert, Dr. Richmond Akwasi Atuahene, has responded to critics of Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiamah’s appointment as acting Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) over his alleged role in the collapse of UniBank and UT Bank.
Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem, Dr. Atuahene questioned why critics were opposed to the appointment although those who were previously, including Asiamah, had suffered, with some even passing away.
He said, “Even Asiamah suffered, and even those he was in court with are no longer alive. So why are you against his appointment? You don’t like constructive criticism?”
His comments come in after the Minority in Parliament, led by Dr. Gideon Boako, the MP for Tano North, criticized President Mahama for discontinuing the criminal charges against Asiamah.
The Minority believes that these charges should proceed despite his appointment, raising concerns about governance and accountability.
But Dr. Atuahene expressed frustration over the situation, asking why the NPP didn’t take action when they were in power but were now opposing Asiamah’s appointment under President John Dramani Mahama.
To him, the NPP minority is only making noise.
“The NPP is making noise. Do you have any integrity at all? The plane cannot fly without a pilot,” stressing the importance of leadership in the central bank.
Dr. Atuahene dismissed the Minority’s calls for prosecuting Asiamah.
“Even their threat of going to the IMF is nothing. The IMF doesn’t even think about Ghana. They should just stop talking and leave it.”
He also advised Asiamah to surround himself with capable people.
“Asiamah should surround himself with good people, and his closest people must be well-experienced bankers” he added.
He accused politicians of trying to outsmart others and said that whenever he tried to address issues related to the IMF and the banking sector, some politicians threatened him.
“Some people threaten me, and I had to be advised by top security officials to be careful where I go. Sometimes when I speak, the only thing they do is threaten me. Are they the only ones who have gone to school?” he revealed.
Further, he criticized the NPP government, claiming that their actions had pushed Ghana into a difficult position.
“The NPP government has taken Ghana to a ditch,” he stated, expressing disappointment over the collapse of the BoG under their watch.
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