The Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) says has was appointed to office to serve Ghanaians and get results.

Stephen Asamoah-Boateng was not appointed to look on unconcerned when appointed CEOs were not performing.

The former Minister for Information and National Orientation said his mandate also requires of him to protect state institutions and as such, he is ready to go all lengths to protect the state interests.

Mr Asamoah-Boateng who was speaking on measures taken by SIGA to ensure the profitability of institutions under his supervision said his outfit has had to take steps, including threatening certain organisational heads with sanctions to get them back in line to discharge their duties and ensuring that government makes the most from their operations.

According to him, even though he may be friends with many of the Directors and CEOs of state-owned businesses, he discharges his duties without fear or favour and holds all accountable.

“I don’t work as a friend when I’m here. This is a public office and as a public officer I work for the people of Ghana and the President who appointed me,” he said on Joy News’ PM Express programme.

Mr Asamoah-Boateng said one of his mandates was to advise and recommend to President Akufo-Addo organisational heads who should be sanctioned or sacked for under-performing in their various positions.

The former Minister added that SIGA is now legally backed to sanction heads or boards of state institutions for non-performance or mismanagement.

He, however, added that the decision to sack an organisational head lies solely in the hands of the President. He as head of SIGA may make recommendations to the President and justify why such an institutional head needs to be sanctioned.

Citing the Produce Buying Company (PBC) as an example, Mr Asamoah-Boateng said he, along with the Agriculture Minister, Owusu Afriyie Akoto dissolved the board, sacked the Managing Director and later constituted a new board with a new MD.

“I have worked with the Minister of Agriculture to change the management of PBC. We changed the Board and the MD because the direction was not there. We had to put our feet down so they had to go”, he explained.

He disclosed that he was part of a team that recommended managerial changes to President Akufo-Addo on issues surrounding the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) that saw the dismissal of management members at the company.

Mr Asamoah-Boateng who refused to give further details of his involvement in the development, said his office looks at the performance of the various institutions before making recommendations for required action.

“I cannot tell you the details but I was involved in every one of them. We work as a team in looking at the performance. I can then give factual information to His Excellency the President who then base on that to take a decision”, he reiterated.

According to him, the sanctions have put other heads of state institutions on their toes. He, however, added that the sanctions and recommendations for sacking are the last options his office considers.

The Director-General said he has created a Chamber of CEOs where all the various organisational heads meet to discuss how they can work together to ensure that everyone is delivering on their mandate.

“What I have tried to do here is not go head-on with sanctions. What I came here to do is to create an environment for us to work together. So we created the Chamber of CEOs and we work together as a team.

"We have met several times and elected among ourselves with Dr KK Sarpong who is the head. I just coordinate for them and we have brought together a team who knows when one falls, we all fall.”

“The chamber has three objectives; to learn from each other, to inter-trade among ourselves and conduct peer reviews. I have set up a team for conflict resolution made up of eight people; two top CEOs, three board chairs and two cabinet ministers. So it is not always sanctioning. It is talking to them and letting them know they are veering off.

“They know the ground rules that if you do not perform, it goes to the resolution group who recommends an action to be taken by the President”, Mr Asamoah-Boateng explained.