Let’s ‘sacrifice’ the GRA boss – NPP Communicator to party

Member of the New Patriotic Party communication team, George Opoku Amponsah, has called on the leadership of the New Patriotic Party to sack the Commissioner of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Rev Ammishaddai Owusu Amoah.

According to him, why should a Commissioner General, who happens to be a reverend minister, stay in office after retirement without a contract.

“If the government needs your expertise due to your experience and knowledge, there’s nothing wrong for the government to arrange a contract before you to guarantee your stay in the office,” he said.

In an interview with AbusuaFM‘s morning show host, Kojo Marfo on AbusuaNkommo, he questioned whether the Commissioner General is receiving a salary. “If he is receiving a salary, who is paying the salary, and on what basis is he being paid, knowing that by law, Mr. Ammishaddai is a retired public servant.”

Amponsah noted that he could not put his integrity on the line to defend such acts by party faithful at the expense of the nation.

He also advised Ghanaians to put the nation first, not the party, and cautioned party faithful to stop calling them for not defending such corrupt acts.”

Background:

The Commissioner of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, publicly acknowledged on Monday, January 29, 2024, during a Public Accounts Committee sitting, that he has surpassed the mandatory retirement age of 60 years and has been working without a contract for the past two years, entering his third post-retirement year without a formal agreement.

Rev. Ammishaddai clarified, stating, “I turned 62 in October 2023.” When questioned about his contract status, he explained, “As far as I know, a letter was sent to the board for me to continue working until it is sorted out with the Ministry of Finance and the appointing authority.”

The revelation surfaced when concerns about Rev. Owusu-Amoah’s retirement were raised by the Minority in Parliament. Ningo-Prampram Member of Parliament, Sam George, questioned the GRA boss about his employment status, emphasizing that he had exceeded the mandatory retirement age by two years.

The inquiry led to objections from some members of the majority on the committee, resulting in a temporary suspension of the proceedings.