Rural bank directors asked not to undermine managers

Mr Kweku Acquaah, Outgoing President of the Central Regional Chapter of the Association of Rural Banks, has asked members of boards of directors to desist from undermining their managers.

Mr Acquaah said this when he addressed the 35th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Shareholders of Nyakrom Rural Bank at Upper Bobikuma in the Agona West Municipality of the Central Region.

He asked: “How can you appoint a manager to manage your bank and at the same time make moves to pull him or her down?”

He expressed dismay at the behaviour of some rural bank directors saying they had become “tin gods” and created serious problems for the managers in their bid to discharge their assigned responsibilities.

Mr Acquaah, who is also the Board Member of Akyempim Rural Bank at Gomoa Dawurampong, said the directors were appointed to ensure the smooth operations of rural banks.

He appealed to them to create good relationships and an enabling environment for their bank managers to improve efficiency.

Mr Acquaah said the rural bank concept, introduced in Ghana in 1976, has come to stay and urged the directors to work assiduously to help reduce poverty in the rural areas especially among women.

He appealed to the ARB Apex Bank and Bank of Ghana to come out with specific roles for directors of rural banks to avoid interference with the work bank managers.

He commended Nyakrom Rural Bank for it sterling performance in the past two years that had build its integrity as a pioneer rural bank.

Nana Antwi-Buabeng XI, Chief of Upper Bobikuma, advised women customers of rural banks, who used loans granted them to purchase expensive funeral cloths, to desist from doing that.

He urged the women to invest the money in their trading activities to enable them to make profit to finance their children’s education.

He commended the rural banks for bringing banking services to the door steps of the people.