Ghana is becoming a crime scene – Sam George reacts to GRA boss age saga

The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, has expressed worry about the continuous stay in office of the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Adu Owusu-Amoah, who admitted reaching his retirement three years ago.

According to him, the GRA boss has been in office illegally since he has no contract, and within this period, has signed questionable contracts like the $100 million Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML-Ghana) which is currently under investigation.

Speaking to journalists after a Public Accounts Committee sitting on Monday, January 29, 2024, the MP said that the GRA boss' continuous stay in office shows the blatant disregard for law by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government, and adds to the number of crimes that have supposedly been committed by the government.

“The Commissioner-General, Rev Ammishaddai, was brought into office in 2021. When he turned 60, his contract ended. He has worked through 2022 above the age of 60, 2023 above the age of 60 and 2024 he is continuing. In a year he will turn 63 - for three years post his 60th birthday without a contract.

“So, he has absolutely no legal basis to remain as commissioner-general of the GRA. In fact, someone else who with him turned 60, Colonel Damuah, was asked to proceed or leave. So why is Ammishaddai still being kept at the GRA? And it is in this period, that he's gone ahead to sign the 100 million contract with SML, the consolidated contract, for five years. That's just one contract at a time where he, himself has no legal basis, he doesn't have a contract extension," he said.

The MP added, “Look, Ghana is becoming a crime scene and the president must answer. And look, I've had to raise this here because this is not the first time… the president cannot say he doesn't know. Members of the academia have spoken about this. Civil society even wanted to carry out a demonstration on the 14th January this year… We cannot continue like this, we country of laws.”

He said that President Akufo and his Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, must explain to Ghanaians why the GRA boss is still in office even though he has reached the age of retirement.

Background:

Minority and Majority Caucus legislators clashed over a question on the age of Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Adu Owusu-Amoah, by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George.

The Majority, led by the MP for Mpraeso, Davis Opoku, said that the GRA boss cannot be forced to disclose his age because it was a personal issue.

His position was backed by the Deputy Minister of Finance and MP for Atiwa East, Abena Osei Asare, who maintained that the matter was a personal matter.

The Minority, led the MP for Ketu North and Chairman of PAC, James Klutse Avedzi, overruled the objection; saying the age of the GRA commissioner cannot be a personnel matter because he is a public servant.

After minutes of back and forth, Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah eventually answered the question, admitting that he turned “62 in October 2023.”

This means that he has been at post for about 3 years without any verifiable contract extension by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as required by law.

On the issue of whether his current employment status was on contractual basis having obtained the 60 years retirement age, the GRA boss said "Mr Chairman, as far as I know, a letter was sent to the board for me to continue working until it is sorted out with the Ministry of Finance and the appointing authority."

BAI/AE

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