Dr. Issahaku’s resignation expected - Akoto Osei

Dr Abdul-Nashiru Issahaku’s decision to step down as the governor of the Bank of Ghana is not surprising as he shares a different ideology from that of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), c has 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,” Dr Osei said on the Executive Breakfast Show on Class91.3FM on Thursday, 30 March.

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 legislator stated.

Dr Issahaku announced his resignation on Wednesday, 29 March after occupying the position for a year.

He said his resignation was of his own volition and not borne out of pressure from the Akufo-Addo administration.

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.