Cadre To Head CEPS

Emmanuel Doku - Outgoing CEPS Boss

IF VAROUS maneuvers, especially those from the National Security outfit work out to expectation, a Cuban-trained cadre, Nunoo Amissah, would take over the headship of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) as Commissioner.

Senior officers of the leading revenue collection agency have questioned in muffled tones why such a person should be considered for the top job.

Emmanuel Doku, the current Commissioner, should have proceeded on his terminal leave on 28th July 2009 having clocked the mandatory 60-year retirement age.

He was asked to tarry awhile by his employers as a successor is picked.

Maneuvers for the top job have been on full throttle, with top officers flaunting their party cards to catch the attention of government.

In the midst of the skirmish, junior officers with access to the Castle are doing the rounds with records of their superiors.

Mr. Amissah Nunoo, barring unforeseen changes, is likely going to carry the day especially since he seems to be the favourite candidate.

Mr. Nunoo Amissah joined CEPS well connected to the powers that be at the time, a quality which saw him attract a seemingly unprecedented promotion between 1992 when he enlisted and 2004 when he left on his own volition, from Assistant Collector to Chief Collector.

The active Civil Defence Organisation (CDO) man was at the CEPS Academy in Kpetoe as his last duty post, before going on his self-imposed retirement or so in 2004.

He was very active in CEPS activities during the tenure of Nii Adjei Okine and the late Mr. Ewuntoma.

CEPS is one organization, where subtle politicking is not uncommon especially with regard to jockeying for 'lucrative' positions.

Cadres, foot-soldiers of the NDC, who saw all manner of actions during the so-called revolutionary days of the PNDC and in the heat of the last elections including the polling day, have grumbled about what they consider neglect by the government.

In an unrelated development CEPS have been given the go-ahead to use their discretion in managing containers at the port.

In what sounded like the usual gossip phenomenon in the revenue collecting agency, someone had whispered into the ears of the Executive Secretary of the Revenue Agency Generating Board, Sallas Mensah that underhand dealings were going on nocturnally.

The newly installed Executive Secretary proceeded to order that work should cease before 6p.m. This slowed down business, thus culminating in the accumulation of containers awaiting processing.

The ensuing revenue loss woke the Executive Secretary up. He immediately swallowed his words with a recent counter memo.

By A.R. Gomda