Stay out of day-to-day management of public institutions – Board chairpersons told
Government has condemned what it describes as creeping interference in the day-to-day running of State-owned enterprises by some board chairpersons.
According to Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo, the development defeats the role of members of the Board, whose primary role is to provide direction.
“The board, particularly chairmen of some of our Boards have had problems because they want to be involved in the day to day running of the institutions, no! If you are a Board Chairman, you really have nothing to do with the day to day running of the intuition.
“You are responsible for formulating policies which you should ensure management puts to use. That is where your beef is but as to who benefits from what pesewa or cedi,is not your job,” the Senior Minister added when he spoke on the sidelines of the swearing in of the new Board for the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC).
The Minister did not point to any incidents but recent wrangling between the Board Chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) Freddie Blay and the Chief Executive Officer K.K. Sarpong over procurement issues and recent happenings at the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), are classical examples.
Mr Maafo said the situation has become a cause for concern and the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is unhappy about it.
He stressed the need for harmony between Boards and Management of public institutions, adding, that is the only way the wranglings will end.
“We have had serious problems and the president gets worried sometimes about problems between the board and management.”
While Mr Maafo believes there is nothing wrong with a Board Chair asking for assistance from an institution’s management, he said no interference is acceptable.
“What I see wrong is a Chairman taking an office on the same floor with the MD and literally giving instructions as to who should do what.
“No, I don’t want that. I want harmony between the board and management,” he added.
