The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has raised concerns over the assumption of official duties by Dr. Johnson Asiamah as the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), despite his nomination by President John Dramani Mahama, pending approval by the Council of State.
Dr. Asiamah’s nomination, announced on January 31, 2025 follows a formal request by the current Governor, Dr. Ernest Addison, to proceed on leave ahead of his retirement on March 31, 2025 after serving two full terms since April 2017.
Reports on Monday, February 3, 2025 indicated that Dr. Asiamah had proceeded to the Bank of Ghana and in all practical terms, had assumed office, engaging in official meetings and activities.
In a formal letter to President Mahama, the Minority Leader, Afenyo-Markin, expressed reservations about Dr. Asiamah’s actions, arguing that his assumption of duty without the necessary approval from the yet-to-be-constituted Council of State raises serious procedural and constitutional issues.
“It is concerning that an individual who has merely been nominated and whose appointment is still pending approval by the Council of State has taken on the responsibilities of the office. This raises serious procedural and constitutional concerns,” the Minority Leader stated in his letter to the president.
Afenyo-Markin further questioned what would happen if the Council of State eventually decided against approving Dr. Asiamah’s nomination, asking how actions already taken in his assumed capacity would be addressed.
He drew a comparison to judicial appointments, arguing that a judicial nominee would not take a seat on the bench to administer justice before receiving necessary approvals.
“It is worth considering the precedent this sets. If, for instance, a judicial nominee were to take their seat in court and begin administering justice before receiving the necessary approvals from the Judicial Council, it would be widely deemed inappropriate. The same principle must apply in this instance,” they stated.
Afenyo-Markin concluded the letter asking that Dr. Johnson Asiamah should refrain from engaging in official duties at the Bank of Ghana until his nomination has been duly approved by the Council of State.
In response to the Minority Leader’s concerns, the Spokesperson to the President, Felix Kwakye Ofoso on Tuesday February 4, 2025 took to Facebook to counter their claims by citing a precedent set under former President Nana Akufo-Addo.
He posted that, “the Minority Leader complains about Dr. Johnson Asiama’s appointment as BoG Governor pending consultations with the yet to be formed Council of State. Here is further evidence of the same procedure used to appoint a Chief Executive Officer for the Community Water and Sanitation Agency by Prez Akufo-Addo in 2023.What sayeth him on this too?”
He then shared a letter dated December 13, 2023 from the Office of the President, signed by the Secretary to the then President, Nana Bediatuo Asante.
The letter confirmed the appointment of Mr. Aloysius Adjetey as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency.
The appointment was made pending the constitutionally required advice of the governing board of the agency, in consultation with the Public Services Commission.
His post suggests that the current administration is following a precedent set by the previous government, implying that the Minority Leader’s concerns may be politically motivated rather than a genuine constitutional matter.
The development has sparked heated debates within the political circles, with questions about the appropriate legal and procedural steps in high-profile appointments.
