Issahaku's resignation not surprising; it was expected - Akoto Osei

The Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei has said that the Bank of Ghana Governor’s resignation was expected.

To him, Dr Abdul-Nashiru Issahaku’s resignation after only 12 months in office and following the change in government was not surprising since he shares a different ideology from that of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

In a radio interview on Accra based Class FM Thursday morning, Dr Akoto Osei said: “My position is very simple: that if you are a central bank governor and on ideological grounds you are not comfortable with the new government, it is best to resign so that you are not caught in any political gymnastics. So if he has resigned, I don’t know his reason, but I’m not surprised.

According to him, Dr Issahaku’s affiliation to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) did not make him a neutral person to occupy that position.

“He was once a candidate and contested for elections in the NDC. Clearly on ideological grounds, having been a candidate, he has displayed his interest in the party, so it will be very difficult to convince an NPP government that you are neutral. So, as a professional, what you do is that you just resign, and after all the central bank governor retires on their salary so in terms of income, I don’t think he has a [problem]. So I think it’s in order,” the Old Tafo/ Pankrono legislator stated.

Dr Issahaku announced his resignation on Wednesday and explained his resignation was on personal grounds. 

The 55-year-old economist was appointed into office in April last year by Mr John Mahama when he was in office.

He succeeded Dr Henry Wampah, who also retired before his time was due.

Before becoming the governor, Dr Issahaku had been the second deputy governor of the central bank since July 2013.

Credit: Classfmonline.com