Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Johnson Pandit Asiama, has urged Members of Parliament to seek clarification directly from the central bank rather than making public allegations on issues they do not fully understand.
According to him, the Bank of Ghana remains open and accessible to lawmakers who require explanations on its operations.
Speaking at the Public Accounts Committee hearing on Monday, January 12, Dr. Asiama said MPs are welcome to reach out to him or the bank formally whenever questions arise.
“Our doors are always open. If any Member of Parliament wants clarity on any issue, please just send me a message or write a letter to us,” he stated.
He expressed concern over remarks recently made by a Member of Parliament, which he described as unfortunate and misleading.
“The other day I heard from one very honourable member making some statements that were rather unfortunate. He said I had approached or called some audit firms to falsify accounts and all that,”
“I believe that’s not the way we can go.”
Dr. Asiama explained that the matter being referred to had to do with a special assignment related to the accounting treatment of monetary gold.
He emphasised that issues concerning the central bank require careful handling and technical understanding, and unged politicians to engage directly with the Bank of Ghana.
“The issues about the central bank are quite sensitive ones. If there’s anything anyone does not understand, just let us know. We can have a breakfast meeting and our technical staff will be there to provide all the answers.”
His comments follow accusations levelled against him by the Minority Caucus in Parliament at a press conference held on January 8.
At that press briefing, the Minority, led by the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Patricia Appiagyei, accused Dr. Asiama of failing in his oversight responsibilities following an International Monetary Fund report which reportedly flagged a $214 million loss under the Gold-for-Reserves programme over a nine-month period.
The Minority also alleged that the Bank of Ghana and GoldBod misrepresented operational fee income as programme profitability, a claim they said contradicts findings contained in the IMF report.
