A leading member of the New Patriotic Party, Razak Kojo Opoku, has called on the proponents of the censure led by Ato Forson and Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority leader to state their positions and make them clear on the allegations of conflict of interest levelled against the finance Minister
He said the allegations levelled against the finance Minister look awkward and clumsy and should be ignored. He described the allegations against the Minister of Finance by the Minority in Parliament led by Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader and Ato Forson, Ranking member of Finance as bogus.
According to the astute politician, between 1997 and September 2001, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor was the Governor for the Bank of Ghana.
“During this period, Unibank was first launched as a Financial Entity in 1997. A few years after its establishment, Unibank received a banking licence and started offering full range of banking services to individuals and corporate clients from January 2001.”
Can Ato Forson and Haruna Iddrisu truly state that:
(a) Unibank owned by Dr. Kwabena Duffuor never transacted any businesses either for or with the Rawlings Government between July 1997- September 2001?
(b). Unibank never lead a bond issuance on behalf of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government?
(c). Dr. Kwabena Duffuor did not play any role or influence the banking licence of Unibank when he was the Governor of the Bank of Ghana?
Was it not a case of conflict of interest for the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to issue a banking licence to his own company Unibank?
- Between 2009-2012, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor was the Minister of Finance.
During this period, UniCredit Ghana Limited formerly known as Kantamanto Savings and Loans Company Limited was officially launched on October 2009 when the owner Dr. Kwabena Duffuor was the Finance Minister.
Can Ato Forson and Haruna Iddrisu truly state that:
(a). UniCredit never transacted businesses either with or for the NDC Government during the tenure of Dr. Kwabena Duffuor as the Minister of Finance?
(b) Star Assurance and Starlife Assurance never transacted businesses either for or with NDC Government during the tenure of NDC Government?
- Ken Ofori-Atta resigned in 2012 from Databank, almost five years before becoming the Finance Minister.
Databank was established in 1990 and Ken Ofori-Atta became Minister of Finance 27 years later in 2017.
- But under the NDC, Unibank was set up when Dr. Kwabena Duffuor was the Governor for the Bank of Ghana, and UniCredit though acquired by HODA Holdings in somewhere 2006/2007 became officially launched in October 2009 when Dr. Kwabena Duffuor was the Minister of Finance.
- Did Dr. Kwabena Duffuor resign from Unibank and UniCredit or HODA Holdings as the Majority Shareholder before he was appointed Governor for Bank of Ghana or Minister of Finance?
- Did Dr. Kwabena Duffuor’s companies ceased doing businesses with the NDC Government when he was the Minister of Finance and Governor of Bank of Ghana respectively?
- In November 2016 under John Mahama’s administration, Strategic African Securities (SAS), Barclays Bank Ghana and Stanbic Bank were Book Runners on Bond Issuance for Government of Ghana.
Did Togbe Afede resign as the Chairman of SAS or as a Majority Shareholder of SAS when he was the President of the National House of Chiefs?
- Did Togbe Afede resign as the Chairman of SAS or Majority Shareholder of SAS when he was appointed as the Board Chairman of National Investment Bank, and Board Member of the Bank of Ghana?
- When Togbe Afede was the Board Member of Bank of Ghana, and Board Chairman of National Investment Bank, can Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ato Forson and Haruna Iddrisu truly confirm that his companies especially SAS never engaged in businesses with or for Government of Ghana?
- Can Ato Forson as a former Deputy Minister of Finance confirm to Ghanaians who were the Book Runners for the $1 billion bond issued each in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The most “stupid bond” ever issued with high interest rates on the debts rising from 7.9% in 2013 to 10.75% in October 2015.
Sadly, these men who are shouting at the rooftop know the truth but for their desperation to form the next Government coupled with their desperation for political power they will do anything and everything to discredit the current administration with the hope that it will inure to their advantage, unfortunately that’s were we’ve gotten to as a Country.
Partisan Politics based on empty hatred is disastrous for the advancement of Ghana.
It is important that Ken Ofori-Atta clears his name and discredit the false allegations levelled against him by the Minority in Parliament for the sake of Posterity.
