PRESIDENT KUFUOR SACKS GHANA AIRWAYS BOARD OF

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 SUBJECT: PRESIDENT KUFUOR SACKS GHANA AIRWAYS BOARD OF DIRECTORS REF: ACCRA 1644 SUMMARY -------------- ¶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