Dr Wampah sworn in as Bank of Ghana Governor
Dr Henry Kofi Wampah has today April 4, 2013, been sworn-in as Governor of the Bank of Ghana by President John Dramani Mahama.
Hints about Dr Wampah’s appointment were given in sections of the media was last week.
He has been serving in acting capacity of the central bank for sometime now.
At the Flagstaff House to witness his swearing in ceremony was Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, who Dr Wampah is succeeding, and Finance Mr Seth Terpker.
President Mahama urged the new central bank governor to help bring down interest rates in the banking sector and also stabilize the cedi.
Dr Wampah, has been acting as BoG governor since the last quarter of 2012 after Vice President Amissah-Arthur resigned from the post after President John Mahama nominated him as Running Mate during the 2012 elections.
A look at Dr Wampah’s career
Dr. Henry Akpenamawu Kofi Wampah was appointed to the position of First Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana in May 2009.
Prior to his appointment as First Deputy Governor, Dr. Wampah was the Director of the Research and Statistics Department of the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI), responsible for the overall supervision and coordination of the work programme of the Department.
He supervised the planning and implementation of the Macroeconomic Convergence monitoring programme of the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ), and was extensively involved in preparing the five member countries of the zone (The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria and Sierra Leone) for monetary union, in the areas of macroeconomic convergence and policy harmonization (monetary policy, statistics, fiscal policy and exchange rate management).
Dr. Wampah was the Head of the Research Department of the Bank of Ghana for five years from February 1996 to February 2001 until he went on secondment to WAMI, the release said.
He has served the Bank of Ghana in various capacities as Head of the Statistics Office and Head of the Public Finance Office of the Research Department.
Dr. Wampah began his career at the Bank of Ghana in September 1986 as a Deputy Manager and rose through the ranks to become a Director in 2006.
Whilst still with the Bank, he worked at the International Monetary Fund, Washington, DC as a Special Appointee from May to December 1998, with the Monetary Operations Division of the Monetary and Exchange Affairs Department and the Africa Department.
He has participated in the Technical Assistance Mission on Monetary Operations and Banking Soundness to the Gambia, and also worked on a project on economic integration in East Africa, it said.
Dr. Wampah has a background in teaching, having held various teaching appointments with McGill University, Montreal, Canada and the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana, Legon in the areas of economic statistics and mathematics.
The release indicated that he has participated in many international conferences and seminars and has authored a number of publications and working papers.
Dr Wampah obtained a B.A. (Hons) Economics and Statistics degree in 1977 from the University of Ghana, Legon. He studied for a Masters’ degree (1983) and a Ph.D (1986) in Economics with specializations in econometrics and public finance from McGill University. He had his secondary education at Hohoe E. P. Secondary School (GCE ‘O’ Level) and Konongo-Odumase Secondary School (GCE ‘A’ Level).
By Ekow Quandzie
DR. WAMPAH HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE MORE THAN AMISSAH SO WHY AMISSAH WAS BOG CHIEF, ONLY IN GHANA SLAVE MENTALITY GHANAIAN LEADERS HAVE. SO HAD TO CONTRIBUTE OR CHANGE THE SLAVE MIND SET OF GAHANIAN LEADERS. SIMPLE THINGS LIKE APPOINTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE WE ALLOW POLITICS TO DICTATE APPOINTMENTS, IT A SHAME SHAME. NOW DR WAMPAH CAN SELECT THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO MOVE THE GHANAIAN ECONOMY FORWARD. AGAIN I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY HE HAS MAKE SURE INTEREST RATE COME DOWN IF GHANAIANS TAX PAYERS ARE FEW, NO PROPER TAXABLE ADDRESSES AND MAJORITY OF GHANA EXPORT ARE RAW MATERIALS. FEW INDUSTRIES IN GHANA. SOONER THESE LEADERS SMARTEN UP THE BETTER GHANA ECONOMY WILL BE
THE GOVERNMENT OF GHANA WILL SEE TO IT THAT HIMSELF AND ALL GOVERNMENT MINISTERS , PARLIAMENTARIANS AS WELL AS ALL LEADERS IN GHANA STOP HIDING THEIR MONY OVERSEAS THEREBY CHANGING THE GHANAIAN CURRENCIES INTO FOREIGN CURRENCY WHICH PUT A LOT OF PRESSURE ON GHANAIAN CEDIS. THE GOVERNMMENT AND PARLIAMENT SHOULD BRING LAWS TO STOP PEOPLE DOING BUSINESS IN US DOLLARS DOMESTICALLY INSTEAD OF USING GHANAIAN CEDIS. PROCUREMENT IN THE COUNTRY AS WELL AS MAKING SURE BOTH LOCAL AND FOREIGN COMPANIES USE LOCAL BANKS FOR BUSINESSES IN CEDIS INSTEAD OFF USING FOREIGN CURRENCY