Opinions of Friday, 28 July 2023

Columnist: Lawrence Appiah-Osei

Ghana needs an IMF Director at the Jubilee House

You remember that before the IMF deal went through, Ghana was forced to accept an IMF Director at the Bank of Ghana and when the Vice President of US came here, she recommended a Director from the US to be at the Finance Ministry. There is an urgent need for an IMF or US Director at the Jubilee House to put things in order for the country.

About a month or two ago, we all witnessed how the president got very angry over a chief for not standing to respect the National anthem. The Jubilee House, through some rented media houses forced this chief to officially write to apologize to the President and the country.

Two or three week later, when the same National Anthem was being played, the first daughter of the president, standing right beside the president, and in full focus of the camera, was seen receiving calls and talking on her phone. These rented media houses saw nothing wrong with that and up until now, that President’s daughter has not issued any statement why she disrespected our National anthem. This girl of about 30 years has disrespected everybody in the country and the Jubilee House is quiet.

At a parliamentary hearing, the Chief Director at the Land’s Commission was bold to tell our representatives that he has hired one Jato, a private land guard. to protect government lands. The Chief Director saw no reason to employ the services of either the Police or the military to protect government’s property. Stuff like this can only happen in a country where the leadership is sick.

The President, whilst accepting Cecilia Dapaah, former Sanitation Minister’s resignation letter wrote that he is confident that at the end of the day, Cecilia Dapaah’s integrity, whilst in office, will be established.

This is a President who in 2016, told us that if anyone wants to come to his government to be rich, that person better go to the private sector. This same man didn’t see the need to let Ghanaians know that he is also not happy to have $1m, €300,000 and millions of Cedis stolen from his Minister’s room. The President, in his letter even said he regretted that Cecilia is leaving his government. (Such an insensitive, unprincipled, and corrupt President)

To add to all the madness going on at the Jubilee House, the President has instead of putting the Sanitation Ministry under another Ministry to save some money, has quickly appointed a replacement of Cecilia Dapaah. I mean, how bad can it be?

When you put all these together and how Boakye Agyarko was fired as the Energy Minister, it clearly tells you that, there in no one in charge at the Jubilee House. The best for the country is to have an IMF or US Director at the Jubilee House to fix the mess there before NDC takes over in January 2025.