Some youth groups aligned with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Tamale have labeled the appointment of Anthony Sarpong as Acting Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) as inappropriate and unacceptable.
President John Dramani Mahama recently appointed Mr. Sarpong, a former Senior Partner at the auditing firm KPMG, to oversee the country’s revenue mobilisation efforts. However, the concerned youth groups doubt his ability to effectively lead this mandate, alleging that he is affiliated with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Speaking at a press conference in Tamale, the coordinator of the Concerned Youth of NDC, Abu Jamal, called on President Mahama to revoke the appointment, arguing that the NDC has more qualified and loyal individuals to handle such critical roles.
“We do not support this appointment because we do not see him as someone capable of leading a revenue mobilisation drive due to his affiliation with the NPP. Mr. Sarpong was appointed by former President Nana Akufo-Addo to serve on the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG) in September 2020,” Abu Jamal stated.
He further claimed that Mr. Sarpong’s previous association with individuals aligned with the NPP, including a former EOCO boss, raised concerns about his suitability for the position.
“Our wealth in Ghana is in trouble with Mr. Sarpong at the helm. We, therefore, wish to remind President Mahama that the NDC has knowledgeable individuals who can manage various sectors better. For this reason, we call for Mr. Sarpong’s appointment to be revoked,” he added.
The group issued a five-working-day ultimatum to the president to rescind the appointment. They warned that failure to address their concerns would compel them to take to the streets in protest.
“We are giving the president five working days to revoke the appointment of Mr. Sarpong. If this persists, we will be forced to hit the streets,” Abu Jamal emphasized.
The group insists there are more competent and credible individuals within the NDC who can replace Anthony Sarpong as Acting Commissioner-General of the GRA.