Mr. Eugene A. Ofosuhene – Controller and Accountant General
Pressure is mounting on the Controller and Accountant General Eugene A. Ofosuhene to vacate his post over allegations that he has ‘crossed’ the mandatory age needed to lead the sensitive government institution.
The statutory retirement age for a controller is supposed to be 60 per the 1992 Constitution, but critics claim Mr. Ofosuhene is nearing 68 years, which they said is far in excess of that of people given contracts after attaining the mandatory age.
However, DAILY GUIDE’s checks indicate that Mr. Ofosuhene is adamant and is insisting that he has not done anything untoward to warrant his removal from office by the President.
“He has not committed any offence or abused his office. He is doing his job. In fact he has been helping to rid the system of ghost names and such a hardworking officer cannot be removed based on some people’s parochial interests,” a source at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department told DAILY GUIDE.
According to critics both in the institution and beyond, the Controller and Accountant General is the only head in the Civil Service, whose appointment has allegedly not been ‘regularized’ due to his supposed age.
“The Controller and Accountant General’s Department is one of the most critical departments of this country. The department was established under the Civil Service Act, 1960 (CA.5). The constitution and the administrative Act, 2003 Act 654 provides the legal framework that governs the operations of the Controller and Accountant General Department, and therefore if there are claims that the Controller and Accountant General of Ghana has passed the legal age needed to head the place, the authorities should be able to act,” one of the critics revealed.
“There is no malice intended but we all know that recently the Public Services Commission said the reason why Dr. Anyah was relieved of his post as CEO of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital was because the experienced medical practitioner had passed the age needed to head the place so if the Controller is also above the age, it is fair that the authorities take steps to retire him,” the source added.
He further said “the Controller and Accountant General is the chief accounting officer and the chief advisor to the government and offers advice on accounting matters to government and therefore if his age is in dispute, it should be resolved.”
Mr Ofosuhene took over from Seidu Kotomah on May 11, 2017.
By William Yaw Owusu