Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader, has refuted assertions made by the Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), claiming that he was involved in Bank of Ghana’s (BoG) board when the initial stages of constructing the new head office commenced.
Dr. Forson categorically denied these allegations, labelling them as entirely false and called on all well-intentioned Ghanaians to disregard them.
In a press statement released on Saturday, August 12, the former Deputy Finance Minister maintained that during the Mahama administration, no contracts were awarded for the construction of a new BoG head office.
He challenged the NPP’s Director of Communications, Mr. Ahiagbah, to produce any substantiating evidence in his possession to support the claims. Forson stated, “For the records, the Bank of Ghana under the erstwhile Mahama/NDC administration never awarded a contract for the construction of this new Head Office.”
He continued, “We, therefore challenge the likes of Ahiagbah and his NPP apologists to show evidence to the contrary if they have any. Second, the Bank of Ghana never purchased land anywhere in Accra for the construction of a new Head Office building.”
Dr. Forson insisted that the new BoG head office project was unnecessary and urged the central bank to terminate it. He criticized the Bank of Ghana’s decision to proceed with constructing a modern headquarters amidst financial challenges, asserting that such a venture was a misplaced and reckless priority.
What Ahiagbah said
Mr. Ahiagbah had alleged that Dr. Ato Forson was a member of the Bank of Ghana board that initiated discussions for the new headquarters’ construction. Ahiagbah stated that while the conversations began in the 1990s, the actual implementation procedures started later. He claimed that Forson, who served on the Bank’s board as a Deputy Finance Minister under the Mahama-led administration, participated in negotiations to purchase land near Achimota forest.
Mr. Ahiagbah maintained that although the BoG Board ultimately withdrew from the negotiations, a settlement fee of $1.2 million was incurred. He emphasized, “He [Ato Forson] was a member of the Bank of Ghana board at the point where they were in government and this conversation about building a new headquarters didn’t start today but in the 1990s…”
In response, Dr. Ato Forson dismissed Ahiagbah’s assertion and said it was untrue.
