General News of Tuesday, 30 November 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2021-11-30I enjoyed working with Rawlings – Duffuor
Jerry John Rawlings
Dr Kwabena Duffuor says he enjoyed working with the late JJ Rawlings
He indicated that, Rawlings give him room to operate
He spoke on Citi TV
Dr Kwabena Duffuor, a former Minister of Finance, has indicated that, he enjoyed working with
Read full articlethe late former President, Jerry John Rawlings.
According to him, Rawlings was an easy leader and during the period that he [Duffuor] worked under his tenure, he enjoyed the work.
“I enjoyed working with him [Rawlings]. I found him to be an easy leader; the period I worked with Rawlings, I enjoyed my work,” Dr Kwabena Duffuor told Bernard Avle on ‘The Point of View’ show on Citi TV.
When asked what was it about the former Military and Democratic leader of Ghana that made working with him so enjoyable, the former governor of the Bank of Ghana explained that he [Rawlings] believed in him and for the period that he stayed as a governor at the Central Bank, he did not have any issue with the President.
Dr Duffuor recounted a conversation he had with the late Rawlings, that made him believe in what he was doing at the Central Bank.
“I think he believed in me. When he asked me how I was going to manage the certain account at the Central Bank and I told him as a banker, Mr President in banking if you do not have money in your account and you draw your cheque, it must be bounced but for even if you don’t have money, and you want to draw a cheque, you must make accommodation for it [because] government must run.
“You cannot stop the government from running. He asked me to explain and I said, if you don’t have money, you must make accommodation even apply for overdraft and it will be given but if you don’t have money, I would not want you to apply for overdraft and you bring the cheque, I will bounce it.
“He asked why and I said because money is yours; apply for it, so why are you saying no. so, Rawlings asked really and I responded ‘Yes sir’ – three times. He understood me and after that encounter, I had no problem for the period I stayed at the Central Bank,” he stressed.
Dr Kwabena Duffuor avers that, he had complete independence as governor of Bank of Ghana under Rawlings and there was no day that Rawlings requested money from the Central Bank.
“I had complete independence under Rawlings. I don’t remember a day he asked me to give a pesewa for government, no. I tell people [that I had] total independence under Rawlings. I could stop some payment because we do not have enough money and he will understand me,” he observed.
