Bank Of Ghana Governor Is Selfish -customers

CUSTOMERS OF ASUOPRA RURAL BANK APPEAL TO PRESIDENT MILLS TO SACK HIM

By Theodore M. K. Viwotor

Fuming customers of Asuopra Rural Bank at Afosu in the Birim North District of the Eastern, feeling dejected and hopeless after failing to cash their own money at the bank for more than two years, are calling on President John Evans Mills to immediately sack Dr. Amissah Arthur, Governor of Bank of Ghana for failing to uphold the cause of ordinary Ghanaian tax payers.

The customers, who have virtually lost hope in the Bank of Ghana, following several attempts at getting them to come to their aid, now believe the only way they can get back their money is for President Mills to sack the current Governor and institute an independent inquiry into circumstances leading to the Central Bank’s failure to detect such a huge anomaly.

Speaking to The Daily Democrat at Afosu in the Eastern Region, some of the customers claim, the Governor, having satisfied himself on a huge salary, with its attendant benefits, does not feel the pain of ordinary the Ghanaian customers of the bank who continue to suffer from the effects of his subordinates’ complete failure.

“Is he (Governor) saying that Bank of Ghana has not detected this problem that has existed for more than two (2) years. Do they audit the subsidiary banks under their care or just sit in their air-conditioned offices and vehicles to enjoy from our sweat?” one of them asked.

According to them, since the problem started some three years ago, they have made several attempts at recovering their hard-earned money, including complaining to Apex Bank, the supervisory body in Koforidua, the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) and making public pronouncements but nothing has been done to their plight, while they continue to suffer hardship. Many of them, The Daily Democrat has learnt, have withdrawn their wards from school, whilst others have left their farmlands to overgrow with weeds, hoping that one day help would come from the authorities.

“Where in the world would this happen? If it was in the U.S.A. or elsewhere in Europe, by now the entire institution would be made to answer questions on why they should continue to receive salaries when ordinary Ghanaians, whose interests they are being paid to protect, continue to suffer from their inefficiency,” a middle-aged farmer fumed.

“We are now going to go all out to get our monies, even if it means coming all the way to Accra to demonstrate. Why? Is the institution made up of deaf men and women that they cannot hear our cry? Joy Fm, Adom Fm, Peace Fm, The Daily Democrat, name them, have all published this issue over and over again. If they are deaf, can’t they see? We are fed up with this,” a fairly old customer burst out, virtually in tears.

Customers of Asuopra Rural Bank have for the past three years or so, not been able to access their own money at the bank for unknown reasons. The Manager of the Bank, Mr. Ousman Ahmed, told The Daily Democrat that the situation was due to an increase in the capital requirement of the Bank of Ghana, coupled with a sudden panic withdrawal that weakened the bank’s resource base. He assured that an Annual General Meeting (AGM) would be organized soon to see the way forward. Three months on, nothing has happened and the customers claim the story has always been the same. They disclosed to this reporter that that excuse has been the order of the day and that it is just a time-buying measure they have put in place to outwit both the customers and authorities as they plan an exit plan that would have a catastrophic effect on them (customers).

They believe the Governor has a responsibility to all, not only big men, so if he has not been able to detect this serious problem, then something is wrong with the institution. They premised their belief on the fact that his predecessor failed in the same respect and for him to do same implies that he is not better than he, so there is no justification for his continuous stay in office.

“You see, it is not just a customer of the bank; it is all of us so it should be noticed by now. He has done not less than a year and a half so he should know. I suspect something fishy so his removal would clear any mess there,” another said.

It would be recalled that the customers sent a petition to th e President on this matter and are yet to hear something about it. The Bank of Ghana is also yet to respond to a letter sent by The Daily Democrat to its Secretary on the 13th December, 2010 to enquire about the problem.