US embassy cable - 04ACCRA1683

UNCLAS ACCRA 001683 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO FAA AND DOT 
AMEMBASSY DAKAR FOR FAA -- ED JONES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR, GH, aviation 
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KUFUOR SACKS GHANA AIRWAYS BOARD OF 
DIRECTORS 
 
REF: ACCRA 1644 
 
SUMMARY 
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1. President Kufuor has dissolved The Board of Directors of 
Ghana Airways.  Citing management lapses and eroded public 
confidence, the President replaced the board with a task 
force to "review and restructure" the airline.  Meanwhile, 
DOT has extended limited economic authority to Ghana Airways 
for continued flights to the U.S. with wet-leased aircraft 
until August 30.  End Summary. 
 
2. In a press release dated August 12 the President's office 
named a four-person task force to run Ghana Airways.  The 
group consists of Gustave A. Mate Azu, Group Captain Frank 
Okyne, Mrs. Frances Adu-Mante and Kojo Andah. 
 
-- Gustave A. Mate Azu worked as a senior officer at KLM's 
Ghana office.  Sources say he served KLM for over 25 years 
and carries respectable credentials in the aviation industry. 
 He was described as a key player in reengineering KLM's 
operations in Ghana and West Africa. 
 
-- Group Captain Frank Okyne is a retired Ghana Air Force 
officer who served as CEO of Ghana Airways in the 1980's.  He 
is perceived as a professional, strong-willed and firm 
decision maker, quick to resist political interference.  One 
source claims he left Ghana Airways in the 1980's when he 
tired of political meddling at the airline. 
 
-- Mrs. Frances Adu Mante is a lawyer by profession and has 
worked with ECOBANK since 1989.  She also worked at the 
defunct Bank for Housing  & Construction (BHC) for 15 years. 
She is the wife of Mr. Robert Adu Mante, Financial Consultant 
to Senior Minister J.H. Mensah.  She is close to Minister of 
Finance Yaw Osafo Maafo, and her brother-in-law is the Acting 
Managing Director of Ghana Commercial Bank. 
 
-- Mr. Kojo Andan, a financial consultant, is credited with 
turning around the fortunes of the Department of National 
Lotteries (DNL).  Sales at DNL have increased from 2 billion 
cedis to 5 billion cedis since he became CEO. 
 
3. It is not clear what authority the task force has been 
given.  At this time Ghana Airways' management structure 
remains intact and interim Chief Executive Akua Sarpong is in 
place.  Sarpong told Econoff the task force met with her and 
requested she continue to repatriate stranded customers and 
cease the sale of tickets for all destinations.  Since both 
of these points were made explicitly in the President's press 
release, it remains to be seen what action the task force 
will take. 
 
4. Sarpong also told Econoff that Ghana Air will continue to 
wet lease aircraft from World Airways at least until the 
newly extended DOT passenger repatriation deadline of August 
30.  Post will attempt to meet with task force members to 
reiterate the conditions of Ghana Air's limited economic 
authority and the conditions that must be met for Ghana Air 
to recommence ticket sales for U.S. routes. 
YATES