Monday’s Public Accounts Committee sitting was thrown into disarray when what sounded like a basic question became a bone of contention.
During the turn of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) at the meeting, Ningo-Prampram legislator, Sam George demanded to know the year in which the Authority’s Commissioner-General, Rev Dr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, attained the age of 60.
But another member of the committee responded, “Isn’t it personal? I think it is personal.”
This is how an unexpected 10 minutes of confusion over a birth year started.
Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei-Asare argued that the matter of age was a personal question.
But the Committee Chairman, James Klutse Avedzi, was visibly taken aback by this response.
He debunked that concern, explaining that the GRA boss is a public official and was therefore not shielded from making such information public.
“The officer to whom the question is directed is a public officer… It is not personal,” he said.
Sam George’s question was premised on the fact that the government, through the Finance Minister, had declared that it would not extend the contracts of people above 60 years old, especially when their expertise was not scarce.
The uproar grew for some time, with the Chairman having to step in multiple times to ensure that Dr. Amishaddai answered the simple question.
After about 6 minutes of tension, the GRA boss had attempted to invite the Deputy Finance Minister to have a word on his behalf again, but James Klutse Avedzi would have none of that.
“He is a public officer. We have the laws that govern this country, fortunately, if you attain the age of 60, you have the opportunity to be given a contract. If he is on contract, he will tell us and that and that will solve it. What is your problem? If he is not up to 60, he will say it. What is your problem?”
“Mr Commissioner General, kindly respond to the question,” he directed.
Abena Osei-Asare later walked across the room to engage the questioner, Sam George, while the room was left with the heavy absence of the answer to that single question.
There was no word from the GRA boss for another two to three minutes thereafter—just murmuring among the GRA boss, the Deputy Minister, and the group of officials in the background who had trooped in to support him.
The Chairman of the Committee had to adjourn the sitting on this note for 45 minutes due to a sudden malfunction of the public address system in the room.
It was after this break that the GRA boss decided to answer the question.
“I turned 62 in October 2023,” he told the committee.
Asked whether he has been working on contract, Reverend Ammishaddai responded, “Mr Chairman, as far as I know, a letter was sent to the board for me to continue working until it is sorted out with the Ministry of Finance and the appointing authority.”
Speaking to the media after the sitting, Sam George described the continuous stay of the GRA Commissioner as unconstitutional, asking the President to do right by the constitution.
He said he would be forced to raise the issue on the floor of Parliament upon resumption if the president fails.
In February last year, political scientist Prof Ransford Gyampo cited unfair and illegitimate contract extensions for key officers at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The officers include the Commissioner General, Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, who has been at post even though his post-retirement contract ended in 2021.
The happenings at the revenue mobilisation outfit are creating tension and do not augur well for its proper functioning.
According to Prof Gyampo, the Akufo-Addo-led “Government initiated a great policy to suspend the granting of post retirement contract to people working in some state agencies where labour and expertise aren’t scarce, as part of expenditure rationalization measures. In accordance with this many requests for post-retirement contracts have been turned down.”
True to the policy “Kofi Nti, a former GRA Commissioner General who was appointed on a 4-year contract was made to leave office halfway his contract after serving only two and half years, because he reached the retirement age of 60 before the expiration of his contract. He was not given a contract extension.
Amishaddai Amoah took over from Kofi Nti and together with Col. Damoah and Juliana Essiam who worked in the same area of revenue generation; they all attained 60 years 2 years ago.
“Col. Damoah was made to leave office because, among other controversial legal tussles, he had also attained the retirement age of 60 years. But Amishaddai was given a one year contract extension upon attaining 60 years.”Col. Damoah was made to leave office because, among other controversial legal tussles, he had also attained the retirement age of 60 years. But Amishaddai was given a one year contract extension upon attaining 60 years.
“Even though the illegitimate contract extension of Amishaddai expired in 2021, he was made to remain at post without any official contract or official cover for another one (1) whole year ending last year 2022. I am reliably informed that, the board chairman of the GRA with support from Ken Ofori Atta, is unilaterally and without recourse to his board members, seeking two more years of post-retirement contract extension for next Amishaddai. This has created deep seated tension and anger among board members of the GRA in a manner that would not auger well for revenue generation and collection,'” he revealed.