The former Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Kwame Owusu has accused finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta of delaying his approval to become the board chair of the Ghana Revenue Authority.
According to him, the president, Akufo-Addo made the main choice to become the board chair of GRA but the appointment was foiled because some party people including the finance minister did not agree to affirm him.
Speaking in an interview with Kwesi Parker-Wilson on Oyerepa TV on Monday, August 21, 2023, Kwame Owusu blamed his failure to be appointed as the board chair of the GRA on some members of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) sabotaging tactics.
“I was mentioned to take care of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) with my 12-year experience in taxation because the president [Akufo-Addo] felt I was the right person to be in charge because they were incurring losses. So I was told to resign from Ghana Maritime Authority and join GRA. After I did, he made the appointment and I went through [the process] and I was approved, notwithstanding the people our own party people because they know when I become the boss I will block a lot of things so they did not want to.
“So when I felt that after four-five months where Ghana has no board chair for GRA, I wrote to the president to make the appointment because the Ofori-Atta’s were not ready and they were delaying, Yes the finance minister delayed approving me [as board chair of GRA]. I resigned as Maritime boss and see whether they [some NPP members] could pave the way for my appointment but it did not happen,” he said on Oyerepa TV in Twi.
The campaign manager for Kennedy Agyapong further stated that he was not approved to become the board chair of GRA because some members of the party knew he would not yield to their demands at the behest of the country.
“I am saying this as an example, so if you see people at the top standing against Ken Ofori-Atta’s appointment, that’s how it is. When they know your capacity to perform and do the right thing that won't be in the interest of some people, then they begin to frustrate you. They knew what I would do if they make me the board chair of GRA so they were afraid of their own shadow,” Kwame Owusu added.
Watch the interview below
Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta frustrated my appointment as board chair of GRA because he knew I was going to block him from taking advantage of the system. Former Ghana Maritime boss Kwame Owusu alleges
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Former Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Kwame Owusu