In a characteristic calm and gentlemanly demeanour, Johnson Pandit Kwesi Asiama (PhD) assumed duty on Monday, 3rd February as the new Governor of Bank of Ghana.
Flanked by his deputies Maxwell Opoku-Afari and Elsie Awadzi, Asiama reflected on his appointment to a position he never dreamt of ever assuming since he first joined the central bank in the 1990s.
“I see this nomination as a humbling one, putting some pressure on me to live up to expectation going forward”, he said during his first official interaction since the appointment.
President John Dramani Mahama appointed Asiama, a former second deputy governor of the Bank on Friday, 31st January after accepting the request of Governor Ernest Addison to proceed on his accumulated leave ahead of his official retirement on 18th March
“Since joining the Bank of Ghana and moving on to become a deputy governor, I never thought there will come a day that I will join these honourable men, who once served as governors of the Bank of Ghana,” the new governor said, in reference to photos of past governors hanging on the wall..
He pledged to work hand-in-hand with the current deputy governors to ensure that ongoing programmes and initiatives are sustained.
The new governor underscored his commitment to addressing Ghana’s economic challenges, particularly dealing with the relatively high inflation, as part of the central bank’s core mandate.
Asiama acknowledged the pressing need for policy adjustments to respond to macroeconomic pressures that have hindered growth.