MEDIA ANALYSTS GROUP (MAG)

P.O. BOX KT 90 KOTOBABI ACCRA TEL: 0208-832 690

OUR REF MAG/GA/1/61 YOUR REF:

PRESS RELEASE TO ALL MEDIA HOUSES

6TH AUGUST, 2013

Sack Mr Know-All Seth Terkper And Save Our Economy

With careful observation recently, the Media Analysts Group (MAG) has come to the conclusion that the current Finance Minister, Mr. Seth Terkper is performing abysmally with regards to the management of the national economy and the sooner he is removed from that important position the better it would be for the people of Ghana and for our great party the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Mr. Terkper is on daily basis destroying the national economy with wrong policies and his know-all-attitude at the ministry of finance, where we are told the entire workers are under siege and afraid of victimization from the all-powerful minster. The MAG is of the view that for the almost six months he has been holding the position Mr. Seth Terkper has failed to consult other economists and finance and banking experts within the government and the NDC to avail himself with varied opinions on how to stabilize the national economy.

Mr. Seth Terkper has for the past months adopted the tactics of know it all attitude and for that matter gradually and systematically collapsing the national economy and putting fear in the hearts of his workers at the ministry of finance.

He always confuse Ghanaians with jargons on taxation and accounting any time he comes on radio or television and has failed to translate those jargons into the real management of the national economy with all the economic indicators deteriorating day by day and the economy having no clear direction. Many experts we have spoken to told us that they do not know what strategies the minister is using to reduce the ballooned deficit. This to them is the reason why the recent Eurobond of USD1bn attracted as much as 8 per cent interest rate when other countries are getting theirs at the interest rate of 6 per cent.

The MAG can cast its mind back to the processes of vetting of the ministers by the Parliament’s Appointment and Vetting Committee few months back when honourable Baba Jamal, Member of Parliament for Akwatia during the vetting of Mr. Seth Terkper drew his attention that there was unease at the Ministry of Finance over his appointment by the President because he is seen as a bully and snobbish at the ministry. Again, Hon Baba Jamal said he was reliably informed that Mr. Terkper has over the four years he was a deputy minister of finance antagonized himself with senior technocrats of the ministry.

As a matter of fact at that time, the MAG thought that the aforementioned assertions were mere allegations against Mr. Seth Terkper. However with the manner in which he is behaving, coupled with the information we have about his style of leadership at the ministry, we think he should either be asked to resign quickly and honorably or be fired by the President because he cannot manage the ministry much less the national economy which is deteriorating day by day.

The MAG has been reliably informed that immediately Mr. Seth Terkper was appointed by President Mahama as the Minister of Finance, he quickly sent a directive to the head of civil service to transfer the then hardworking Chief Director of the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Enoch Cobbinah before he Terkper assumes duties.

Consequently, Mr. Cobbinah was given three days by the head of civil service to move to the Ministry of Education, which he obliged. As we are currently speaking Mr. Cobbinah is at the Ministry of Education and anybody who likes can verify that for himself.

Again, the MAG has credible and verifiable information that apart from the Chief Director, Mr. Terkper has removed the Director of Budget at the ministry of finance, Mr. S.P. Kyei from his post. He has also removed the Director of General Administration of the Ministry of Finance, Mr Romeo Adu Tutu.

Apart from that, he has transferred, reshuffled or sacked about thirty (30) experienced directors including people who have worked at the ministry all their lives. We are also informed that his callousness even extends to secretaries and messengers of the ministry. The ministry is like a military camp in a period of coup d’état.

MAG Would like to draw the attention of H.E. President John Mahama that, the issues Honourable Baba Jamal raised during the vetting of Mr. Seth Terkper are true as his poor performance and attitude at the Ministry of Finance provide testimony.

MAG is therefore humbly calling on the President, H.E. John Mahama to remove Mr. Set h Terkper from office as the Minister of Finance and appoint a more dynamic and practical person who will be able to perform and not rely on just accounting and taxation jargons which is not helping the Ghanaian economy and has no practical meaning on the ground.

MAG can state categorically and without any bit of doubt that there is no way our party can chalk another success at the polls with Mr. Terkper as the Finance Minister, because we do not understand why a finance minister would go to the extent of taxing vital commodities like condoms, fishing nets, cutlasses, outboard motors and what have you. Has he sat down for a minute to consider the political impact of such a reckless taxation?

Mr. President we are on our knees appealing to you to remove Mr Terkper before it is too late for us and for our party.

Long live Ghana Long live President John Mahama

S. NOBLE TWUM-ASAMOAH SECRETARY 050-6091538 \ 0288-226540