Ghana Customs:Top Guns Sacked

Paul Adubufuor An unexpected ‘vacate your post’ order has swept away three Deputy Commissioners from the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), as part of the ongoing subtle dismissals featuring prominently in the John Evans Atta Mills Administration. The tsunami-like changes, which have seen subordinates elevated ahead of their superiors, have set tongues wagging as to the motives behind the sweeping changes. The order, coming from the recently constituted Revenue Agencies Governing Board (RAGB), the authority which oversees the operations of the country’s revenue collecting agencies such as CEPS, Value Added Tax (VAT) Service and Internal Revenue Service (IRS), has caused consternation among the affected top officers and some staff of the security establishment. Those affected by the order are Paul Adubufuor, Deputy Commissioner, Administration and Human Resource; Africanus Owusu Ansah, Deputy Commissioner, Preventive; Robert Kwame, Deputy Commissioner, Operations; and Mr. Acquah in charge of Finance. While no reason was given for the truncation of the service of the officers, it is thought that they could have suffered their fate because their names have been forwarded to the authorities as unsympathetic to the cause of the ruling party. Gossips and lobbying at the corridor of power by officers, including the submission of names of persons perceived to have dined with the previous government to the Castle, are commonplace. The new CEPS Commissioner appointed by the Mills Administration is E.R.K. Lanyon and he recently took over from Emmanuel Doku. In a related development, RAGB at its meeting on 26th August 2009, has approved new appointments and changes to the management of the revenue collection agency. The changes are as follows: Dwomoh-Jermih, Asst Commissioner, is now in charge of Administration and Human Resources; Wallace Akondor, Asst Commissioner, Tema; E. Impraim, Asst Commissioner, Customs; Muhammed Nasirudeen, Asst Commissioner, ISO/Export; and Y.A. Ibrahim, Asst Commissioner, Investigations /Narcotics. Also made were the following appointments: Seth Dovlo, Ag Asst Commissioner, Estates/Development; J.T. Sowah, Ag Asst Commissioner, Warehousing; Philip Mensah, Ag Asst Commissioner, Internal Affairs/ Intelligence; Charles Amankwah, Ag Asst Commissioner, Audit; John Vianney Kuudamnuru, Ag Asst Commissioner, Post Even/ Valuation; Charles Sabblah, Ag Asst Commissioner, Preventive; and Fred Gavor, Ag Asst Commissioner, Goods & Vehicles, Tema; Awudu Osman, Ag Asst Commissioner, Suspense Regimes, Tema; Richard Yawutse, Ag Asst Commissioner,Research, Planning & Monitoring; D. Ewoade, Ag Asst Commissioner, Finance; J.E. Sackey, Ag Asst Commissioner, Procurement; and Edward Boakye, Ag Asst Commissioner, Special Duties. The following relocations have also been made by the board: Emmanuel Kermah, Asst Commissioner, Project Manager, Customs Codes; Akumfi A. Buanya, Asst Commissioner, Stores; Nicholas A.K. Kitibi, Asst Commissioner, Bolga; Isaac Crentsil, Asst Commissioner, Corporate Planning; Doris Dadjo, Ag Asst Commissioner, James Town, Accra; Christiana Akoto Bamfo, Ag Asst Commissioner, KIA; Samuel T.A. Morken, Ag Asst Commissioner, Wa; George Adum Kwapong, Ag Asst Commissioner, Elubo; and Isaac Kofi Tofah, Commandant, CEPS Academy, Kpetoe. An added directive signed by the Ag CEPS Commissioner orders that holders of existing offices where applicable hand over to the new office holders on or before the close of business on Friday 25th September 2009. CEPS is one of the agencies directly under the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. By A.R. Gomda