President has not sacked any CEO - Minister

The Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has advised the public to disregard any media reportage suggesting that government has sacked eight Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of state owned enterprises on the account of their age.

According to the minister, although the president has prerogative powers to engage or disengage any CEO of any state owned enterprise, the president exercises such powers in accordance with established process.

"Whilst it remains the prerogative of the president to engage or disengage the services of CEOs of state owned enterprises, he exercises such powers after the necessary prerequisite engagements," Mr Oppong Nkrumah said at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, January 28, 2019.

He said "should the president at any time opt to disengage the services of any CEO, that will be done as always in accordance with established process", noting that “Engagement between government and CEOs of state owned enterprises are routine.”

There were media reports last Friday, January 25, this year, that government has asked eight CEOs of state owned enterprises to vacate their post due to their age.

The eight CEOs were said to have crossed the compulsory 60-year retirement age.

The eight were:

- Kwame Owusu, 67 years – CEO of Ghana Maritime Authority

- Isaac Osei, 67 years – CEO of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR)

- CEO of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly called Sir John, 65 years

- Samuel Annor, 64 years – CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority

- Eugene Ofosuhene, 67 years – Controller and Accountant General,

- Kofi Jumah, 68 years – CEO of Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation (GIHOC)

- K. K Sarpong, 65 years – CEO of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC)

- Anthony Nsiah-Asare, 65 years – Director General of the Ghana Health Service

Mr Oppong Nkrumah at the news briefing said: "Now, the general public is advised to disregard media reportage that these persons as you see their names and photos in Instagrame have been ordered to vacate their posts on the account of their age."