ECOWAS Bank boss accuses Foreign Minister

The embattled President of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, Dr George Sipa-Adjah Yankey has broken his long silence over the purported termination of his appointment with the ECOWAS Financial agency.

Speaking to JOY-FM in a telephone interview from Togo this morning, Dr Yankey described as false, the assertion by Ghana's Foreign Minister, Hackman Owusu-Agyemang that he had been sacked.

Dr Yankey said though he received a letter of dismissal in April this year, it was in contravention of the ECOWAS protocol and a point of reference in a substantive suit before Court, explaining that he will remain in office until the out come of the case.

Dr Yankey accused the Foreign minister of prosecuting an agenda to have him replaced with a former senior Official of the ECOWAS Secretariat, Dr Goerge Appenteng, whom he described as a relation of the Foreign Minister, and also because he failed to contribute to his political campaign during the year 2000 elections.

Dr Yankey disputed the assertion by Owusu-Agyemang that his appointment was made by the Heads of States and Governments of ECOWAS. Rather, he said, the appointment to the position of President of the ECOWAS fund was only endorsed by the ECOWAS authority of heads of States and Governments, which was duly done at their last summit in Bamako-Mali in December 2000.

Under such circumstances the only body that has the authority to terminate the appointment of the Bank's President is the Board of directors and Council of Ministers. The Selection process to fill the Vacancy, commenced in March last year and was closed in December 22nd 2000, when Dr Yankey was appointed.

The Foreign Minister is alleged to have on February 2, 2001, called Dr Yankey to order him to give up his appointment or face embarrassment, raising questions as to whether issues of ECOWAS appointments were not best to be dealt with by the Ministry of Economic Planning and Regional Integration.

Meanwhile, Owusu Agyeman has in an interview with JOY-FM, reacted to accusations that he is waging a personal vendetta against, Dr. George Yankey to ensure his dismissal.

"Why will I go to a poor civil servant like Dr. Yankey and ask him to sponsor the party" adding that "if he claims I have a personal vendatta against him, does it mean we will wage personal vendattas against all those who did not contribute to the party's campaign activities?"

Hackman also wondered how he could unilaterally take such a decision of national concern without approval from the government. He told JOYFM that he did not sign the letter terminating Dr. Yankey's appointment saying that "If he says it is a personal agenda, will Dr. Ndoum fall in line, will the President, Finance Minister”

He also denied allegations that Dr. Appenteng is his relative adding that he got to know Appenteng at the Institute of Economic Affairs. "How can somebody be my relative when I've not known him for all the about 60 years that I have lived."

Asked by Komla Dumor, the host of Super Morning Show to explain the circumstances under which he told Dr. Yankey not to take up the appointment in February this year, when in fact he had already received his letter of appointment in December last year, Owusu Agyeman explained that Dr. Yankey had not taken up the appointment when he asked him to step down.

He further explained that he met Dr. Yankey at his former office at the Gateway Services Secretariat in February this year and realising that he had not yet assumed his new post asked him in his own interest to resign.

Dr. Yankey, according to the Foreign Minister, refused and the government had no option than to declare his appointment void. Dr. Yankey is currently standing trial in the Quality Grain scandal, where together with five former government officials and Ministers have been charged with causing financial loss of 20,000 dollars to the state.

Media reports on Tuesday said the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government has terminated the appointment of Dr Yankey as the President of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID).

The termination, according to reports, follows the withdrawal of Ghana Government's support for him.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, who was said to have disclosed this, said the government's withdrawal of support for Dr Yankey follows its interest in the position of Executive Secretary of ECOWAS.

The government is reported to have told member states of ECOWAS of its unflinching support for the candidature of Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, for the position of ECOWAS Executive Secretary and could, therefore, not support Dr Yankey.

He said judging from responses received, Dr Chambas would win the position, saying "more than 70 per cent of ECOWAS countries are in support of Ghana's candidature for the top ECOWAS post” adding that the country cannot occupy the presidency of EBID in addition.