Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor is the Majority Chief Whip in Parliament
Majority Chief Whip and South Dayi MP, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has accused the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of showing political bias against the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government in its latest assessment of Ghana’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
His comments followed an IMF Technical Assistance Report which criticised the politicisation of appointments to the boards and management of SOEs.
'Ghana's economy was in turmoil a year ago' - Dafeamekpor reflects
The Fund said Ghana had introduced measures aimed at making such appointments more structured and merit-based but noted that “in practice appointments remain highly political and centralised in the Presidency.”
It further stated that boards of major SOEs were largely dominated by political appointees, with ministers, Members of Parliament and prominent party officials frequently serving as board chairs.
Reacting in a post on X, Dafeamekpor questioned why the IMF appeared to criticise NDC governments over practices he believes were also common under previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administrations.
“So what exactly do these IMF Country Directors want from the NDC anytime we are in Govt?” he asked.
The MP said he had observed “the alacrity with which the IMF criticises an NDC-Govt in respect of matters that they’ll actually facilitate for an NPP-Govt to implement.”
He cited the appointments of former NPP National Chairman Peter Mac Manu as Board Chairman of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and former NPP minister Hackman Owusu-Agyemang as Board Chairman of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) under the Akufo-Addo administration.
“Obviously, the IMF didn’t know this and, of course, didn’t also [know] the political colouration nor rank of these men who led GPHA & Cocobod Boards at the time,” he said.
Dafeamekpor said he was prepared to provide evidence of political appointments under previous NPP administrations.
“I wish to assure the IMF-Ghana Country officers that I can produce a full list of NPP Snr Ranks & MPs who served on every Board of every SOE within 2017 and 2024. I can also do so from 2001 to 2008,” he stated.
The IMF report, published on September 9, 2026, said Ghana still faced significant gaps in SOE governance despite progress made through institutions such as the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA).
The Fund recommended stronger merit-based processes for appointing SOE board members and chief executives, particularly for economically important state enterprises.
It also called for a gradual reduction in the number of active politicians and senior government officials serving on SOE boards.
The IMF's financial assessment relied largely on 2024 data, when SOE liabilities stood at about GH¢282 billion, equivalent to roughly 25% of GDP.
However, its governance observations were also informed by a technical mission conducted in Accra from November 24 to December 5, 2025.
Dafeamekpor has rejected the IMF's conclusions, extending his criticism to what he described as an earlier “tainted GoldBod report.”
“Mr IMF Country Director, by your tainted GoldBod report a couple of weeks prior and your present report in question, tells me without doubt that you have descended into the local political arena of conflict and taken sides opposite to me,” he wrote.
He added: “You must never be trusted again as an independent and neutral supra-national financial institution.”
On Ghana's gold resources, he declared: “As for our gold, ‘forgerrit’. We will no longer sell it to you. You can continue to fabricate & skew our country reports with a huge anti-NDC slant.”
He ended his post with the declaration: “GoldBod ad vitam!!!!”
His comments come as a separate SIGA report shows that Ghana's SOEs recorded a combined net profit after tax of GH¢19.80 billion in 2025, compared with a GH¢2.25 billion net loss in 2024.
The figures have added another dimension to the debate over the financial performance and governance of state-owned enterprises under the current administration.
Read the full post below
1. So what exactly do these IMF Country Directors want from the Ndc anytime we are in Govt?
— Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Esq. MP. (@etsedafeamekpor) September 11, 2026
2. I have observed rather disconcertingly, the alacrity with which the IMF criticizes an Ndc-Govt in respect of matters that they’ll actually facilitate for an Npp-Govt to implement.…
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