Former Cal Bank CEO, Frank Adu Jnr, has issued a stark warning to President John Mahama, urging him to prioritize accountability among his political appointees and decisively tackle corruption, particularly rampant procurement fraud. Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Monday, June 30, Mr. Adu Jnr emphasized that while early signs, such as the recent stability of the cedi, are positive and allow for economic planning, significant challenges lie ahead if underperformance and systemic rot are tolerated within the administration.

Mr. Adu Jnr highlighted a critical flaw in Ghana's political system: the pervasive issue of political loyalty superseding meritocracy in appointments. He expressed deep concern that political appointees are often shielded from accountability due to their affiliations, creating a dangerous culture where non-performance goes unchallenged. "I have not seen or heard in the past probably 18 years, any minister of a sector or a president criticise or question an appointee for non-performance," he stated, attributing this to the fact that "all these appointees are political affiliates" who were part of the president's campaign. This makes it exceedingly difficult for sector ministers, who are also political appointees, to hold state enterprise CEOs, like those at VRA or ECG, accountable for their poor performance. Instead, ministers often find themselves defending mismanagement rather than confronting it.

He further criticized the system as fundamentally anti-meritocratic, where the likelihood of securing a top position like CEO, ambassador, or minister often correlates with one's vocal political activism rather than actual competence. This entrenched practice, he argued, undermines the government's ability to deliver on its campaign promises. Mr. Adu Jnr pointed to the immediate past Akufo-Addo administration as a clear example, questioning the performance of many State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) companies, noting that few, perhaps only SIC, demonstrated tangible results like paying dividends.

Beyond the issue of appointee performance, Mr. Adu Jnr stressed that corruption, alongside the prevailing political system, represents the two most significant problems plaguing the country. He unequivocally stated that without decisive action against corruption and a commitment to hold people accountable – not just past administrations, but crucially, President Mahama's own appointees – no economic policy or leadership skill can rescue the nation from systemic rot. He recounted a shocking personal experience from his time at Cal Bank, where a client's government contract, initially requiring $3 million, saw its payment inflate to $25 million due to a "variation" accepted by the government – an eight-fold increase. He warned that such "procurement fraud is critical" and "is killing this country," asserting that it is not an isolated incident and continues to persist. He emphasized that this level of financial leakage transcends party lines and cannot be remedied by even the most skilled finance minister or external interventions like those from the IMF.

In conclusion, Mr. Adu Jnr's message to President Mahama is clear: sustained progress and the ability to fulfill promises hinge on a radical shift towards performance-driven governance and a relentless pursuit of accountability, particularly in confronting corruption. He posits that only when the President takes a firm stance against these deeply rooted issues, ensuring that non-performing appointees are removed and that procurement fraud is rigorously combated, can Ghana truly move forward.