Mahama boys sacked CEPS boss

The removal of the Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr. Wallace Akondor, is being described as a booby trap set up at the presidency to ensnare President John Dramani Mahama, with the aim of embarrassing him.

This is because even though the Number One gentleman of the country is reported to have denied knowledge of the removal, a letter from the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah to the Minister of Finance, Seth Terkpeh, stated that he was directed by His Excellency.

To make issues worse, the President’s old-time-friend, John Vianney Kuudamnuru, the Assistant Commissioner of Customs in-charge of Tema Collection, has been made to replace the Commissioner without stating any adverse findings against him.

The trap, after holding the “game”, started bearing sour fruits in some of the strongholds of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Intelligence gathered by The Chronicle suggests that authorities from the Manya Krobo Traditional Council have put on their regalia, with walking sticks, to knock on the iron gates of the Flagstaff House and find out the reason for such a surprise, when the President, His Excellency, left the shores of the country.

Deep throat source at the traditional council confirmed the move and stated that the people were shocked to the marrow on reading from the papers that the commissioner, with only five (5) months to proceed on retirement, has been handed such a raw deal.

The source further stated that their constituencies, Lower and Upper Manya, have always been safe for the NDC, since the party was formed in 1992, and did not anticipate such a treatment, especially when no reason was assigned to his humiliation.

Information making the rounds has it that while the President was on a trip to Italy, the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, addressed a letter to the Finance Minister, and copied the board chairman of GRA, to the effect that the Customs boss has been asked to proceed on leave, pending retirement.

The letter, which was purported to have had Presidential assent, named Mr. Vianney Kuudamnuru as the new Commissioner. Even though no letter to that effect was issued to the Commissioner, the media was awash with the news and for over one week, the sitting Customs boss remained in office without a letter, but continued to sign official documents, creating mockery and undermined discipline, even though Customs as a para-military institution depends on discipline.

A highly placed source at the GRA told The Chronicle that, on Friday, the 24th of July, 2015, ten (10) clear days after the publication in the newspapers, the Board of the authority met with the Commissioner at a meeting, and as if to humiliate him, the chairman allegedly showed the Commissioner a copy of his removal letter – ‘for his eyes only’, in the presence of his subordinate, the man to take over from him.

The GRA source continued that the Commissioner was given options – to proceed on his accumulated leave prior to retirement or assigned to the Ministry of Finance, or go back to his former position in the Customs, before his elevation, or better still, he should make a suggestion to the Board for consideration – from which he was to select one, if any, by Monday 20th July, 2015.

The source, who is worried at the way and manner the removal took place said that, the “orphaned” customs boss appealed that he should be allowed just one more week, for him to brood over the options and make an informed decision, but was rejected flatly.

On the said Monday, he was asked by the Board to be ready to allow Mr. Vianney to take over and that he should also handover on Friday, the 31st of July, 2015, which he obliged.

Sources at the Flagstaff House hinted that the President, on his return, reportedly distanced himself from the changes, which position Ministry of Finance confidants said applied to the sector minister, Seth Terkpeh.

Party apparatchiks, stunned by the development, started finding out the motive behind the letter, which was sourced to the President, who also denied any knowledge thereof.

The party gurus then came to a conclusion that the removal and replacement of the Customs capo might have been orchestrated to embarrass the Number One gentleman of the land.

Wallace Akondor, who joined Customs, thirty-six years (36) ago, was appointed Acting Commissioner of the state revenue collection agency in May 2014, a time when revenue collection was at its lowest ebb.

This resulted in the Collection Agency’s inability to meet its target and his coming into office was seen as a stop-gap to map out strategies for revenue collection, and no wonder barely seven months in office, Customs at the end of the year 2014, nearly had the target, but had to suffer a 2% under collection.