Samuel Amankwah
Workers of GCB-Bank, are appalled and disappointed in the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the Board of Directors of the bank led by Jude Kofi Arthur for deliberately shirking the responsibilities after the Deputy Managing Director of the bank, was caught with as much as three dates of birth; a clear case of dishonesty.
A charge of age-cheating, has been levelled against Mr Samuel Amankwah for a while now, but the two bodies, especially the regulator- BOG – have been playing deaf and dumb in the face of glaring evidence that the deputy MD’s date of birth in his biometric Ghanaian passport, is different from his Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) records.
The current workers, are not alone, hoping for the bank’s integrity to be preserved by the board, as well as BoG, their former colleagues, who were relieved of their job under some bizarre circumstances, allegedly schemed by Mr Amankwah, are equally upset about the animal farm situation.
Per the laws of Ghana, public servant after attaining the age of 60, proceeds on pension, but in the case of the deputy MD, documents available to The Herald, including his passports and SSNIT card, indicates that Mr Amankwah, has altered his age many times allowing him to stay in office for more years.
These documents which include that of the bank’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) report give different dates of birth, corroborating earlier information that indeed, Mr Amankwah, has been dishonest as a senior officer of the bank.
Currently, per the GCB’s records, the Deputy MD, is 59-years of age, but two other documents namely, a biometric Ghanaian passport and SSNIT card, put his age at 63 and 64 years, respectively.
The expectation of the workers are that, since the news of the Deputy MD in-charge of operations was made public, the Central Bank, would be interested in the matter by investigating the veracity of the allegation in order to take action.
This is comes after Mr Amankwah got some workers of the bank removed on grounds that, they did not attain the required grades in Mathematics and Science at the Senior High School (SHS) level, although they were not employed on the grades they had obtained from SHS, but on HND and first degrees from reputable poly techniques and universities.
The bank, has since moved on to fill those vacancies with children of politicians among others. Most of the sacked workers, were recruited by the previous management led by Ernest Agbesi, while others were from First Capital Bank and UTbank, who were taken on after the merger in 2017.
In the face of the numerous articles revealing the age-cheating accusation, this paper has gathered that Mr Amankwah, is said to be going round telling people not to worry their heads about The Herald’s expose on him, because nothing can be done to him.
Other details are that, he is blaming the Human Resource Department of the Bank, for seeking to embarrass him, hence he is at loggerheads with most officers from that department.
Few weeks after The Herald’s exposé on the Deputy Managing Director (MD) in charge of operations, over his multiple dates of birth, the bank, somewhat added to the list, revealing another date of birth of the top official, causing further damage to his image.
The latest age-cheating information, which puts Samuel Amankwah’s different dates of birth to three, came to light again, when the bank released its Annual General Meeting (AGM) report with him listed among 13 directors, and his year of birth stated as 1960, contrary to what were on his passport and SSNIT records.
This means that Mr Amankwah, who was mentioned as a banker by profession, is using at least three different dates of birth on vital official documents, including his biometric Ghanaian Passport, Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and office records, which is a clear case of deceit and falsification of personal data.
This brings to question the integrity of Mr Amankwah, to continue working in such a sensitive position of a universal bank.
It is even more worrying because, this is a man who reportedly ensured the sacking of some staff members of the bank, claiming they got their employment with wrong WASSCE grades obtained from their senior secondary school days.
There are reports that he allegedly altered his date of birth with the GCB-bank, hence going on retirement in May next year, although he is long passed the retirement age of 60.
Currently, per the GCB’s records, he is 59-years of age, but two other documents namely, a biometric Ghanaian passport and SSNIT card, put his age at 63 and 64 years, respectively.
The passport details available to The Herald have it that it was issued him on April 29, 2016, and expires on April 28, 2021.
The type P passport numbered G1297125 was handed him in Accra, and it puts his place of birth as Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, and his date of birth as May 1, 1956, which is different from his Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) records.
Mr Amankwah’s details with SSNIT, mentions his date of birth as March 14, 1955.
His SSNIT number is F015503140059 and parents’ names as Grace Sarpong and Badu Nelson. He was registered as a member of SSNIT on December 30, 1975.
Per the two details; the SSNIT records and his current Ghanaian passport, Mr Amankwah, should have gone on compulsory retirement over three years ago, but he is still at post.
The Deputy MD, according to Herald’s sources, was instrumental in the sacking of some staff from the bank this year, using their inability to obtain less than grade “D” in their SSCE English and Mathematics, as the main reason for their dismissal.
The age-cheating by the Deputy GCB-Bank MD, comes on the back of President Akufo-Addo, has booted out the director of the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI), Rashid Seidu Inusah, the Controller and Accountant-General, Eugene Ofosuhene, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Kwame Owusu, the Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Samuel Annor.
The retirement age of a public officer is sixty (60) years as stipulated clearly in section 199 (1) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.
The Ghana civil service law 1993, PNDCL 327, also states the retirement age of civil servants as sixty (60) years.
In spite of these provisions above, the public service makes provision for limited engagement or contract appointment as clearly stated in the Ghana civil service document titled: ‘Guidelines on Appointments, Upgrading, Conversion and Promotions (AUCP) in the Civil Service’ 2015, section 9.0 (subsection 9.1-9.8).
