The Rise & Fall Of Ato Essien’s Bank …The Impact Of Two Governments

An Accra-based legal practitioner, Andrew Appiah-Danquah Esq., has waded into the banking sector crisis with a post-mortem of convicted Ato Essien’s Capital Bank, which fell under the previous Akufo-Addo administration.

According to the legal brain, the calamity that befell Capital Bank was “the destruction of a Ghanaian success story” and not merely the collapse of a financial institution.

In his article reproduced below, lawyer Appiah-Danquah argued passionately that the Bank of Ghana under the first Mahama government pursued policies that safeguarded Ghanaian financial institutions and preserved jobs.

In contrast, Akufo-Addo’s administration “used regulation as a political weapon to dismantle local enterprises, leading to economic hardship.”

Read Full Article by Andrew Appiah-Danquah Esq.

In the intricate web of Ghana’s financial sector, few stories encapsulate the contrast in governance, policy direction, and commitment to local enterprise as vividly as the case of Capital Bank. At the heart of this story lies Ato Essien, a Ghanaian entrepreneur whose vision and perseverance transformed an informal microfinance initiative into a full-fledged bank, serving Ghana’s MSMEs. Yet, his legacy—and the livelihoods tied to it – were shaped, uplifted, and ultimately destroyed by the policies and decisions of two different governments: the Mahama administration and the Nana Addo administration.

The fate of Capital Bank was determined by two contrasting administrations: President John Dramani Mahama’s progressive, nation-building approach, and President Nana Akufo-Addo’s short-sighted, punitive policies. While one government sought to strengthen Ghanaian-owned financial institutions, the other wielded regulation as a weapon to dismantle them. The bank’s collapse is more than just an isolated financial failure; it is a cautionary tale about governance, economic nationalism, and the far-reaching consequences of policy decisions made in bad faith.

Mahama’s Ghana: A Government That Built Local Enterprise

Under President Mahama, Ghana’s financial sector was not without challenges, yet his administration demonstrated a clear commitment to economic stability and the empowerment of indigenous businesses. Recognizing the crucial role of local banks in national development, Mahama’s government—through the Bank of Ghana (BoG) under Dr. Abdul NashiruIssahaku – implemented strategic interventions to safeguard struggling institutions rather than dismantle them.

Capital Bank was a prime example of this approach. Though the bank faced liquidity constraints, the Mahama administration saw its recovery as essential to financial inclusion and economic growth. Consequently, a series of pragmatic interventions were introduced:

1. Strategic Capital Injection for Financial Stability

Understanding that temporary liquidity issues should not dictate the fate of a viable institution, the BoG approved a GH¢620 million commercial loan to Capital Bank. This intervention was supported by prudential funds of GH¢380 million, providing a structured path to financial recovery. This kind of proactive policy exemplifies responsible governance.

2. A Measured, Sustainable Loan Repayment Plan

Rather than imposing unrealistic financial burdens that could stifle recovery, the Mahama administration facilitated a structured repayment plan. Capital Bank was required to make monthly payments of GH¢14 million over an extended period. The bank complied for 24 months, repaying over GH¢336 million—demonstrating resilience and a strong commitment to stabilizing its finances.

3. A Strategic Approach to Managing Bad Debts

Instead of allowing non-performing loans to cripple the bank, Mahama’s government endorsed an internationally recognized method: separating toxic assets into a “bad bank” while ensuring Capital Bank’s healthy operations continued. This strategy, used in advanced economies like the U.S. and Europe, protected depositors and preserved the institution’s financial integrity.

4. Safeguarding Jobs and Shareholder Investments

Recognizing the broader impact of a bank’s collapse, Mahama’s administration ensured that Capital Bank remained operational, protecting thousands of Ghanaian jobs and businesses that depended on its services. A shareholder agreement restricted dividend payments for five years, ensuring reinvestment into the bank’s long-term sustainability.

By prioritizing national development over bureaucratic rigidity, Mahama’s government reinforced the principle that indigenous banks are not just financial entities but strategic national assets crucial to economic growth and employment.

 

Akufo-Addo’s Ghana: A Government That Destroyed Indigenous Enterprise

The Akufo-Addo administration’s assumption of office in 2017 marked a sharp departure from this forward-thinking approach. Rather than building on the stabilization efforts of the previous government, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and BoG Governor Dr. Ernest Addison pursued an aggressive agenda that can only be described as economic sabotage.

Instead of supporting local financial institutions, the administration launched an indiscriminate attack on Ghanaian-owned banks under the pretext of regulatory enforcement. The impact on Capital Bank was immediate and devastating:

1. Arbitrary and Punitive Loan Repayment Demands

Despite Capital Bank’s demonstrable progress under Mahama’s structured plan, the new government abruptly demanded full repayment of the GH¢620 million loan—ignoring both the repayments already made and the bank’s ongoing compliance with the schedule. This unrealistic demand was a deliberate move to engineer the bank’s failure.

2. Rejection of Sensible and Viable Recovery Proposals

Faced with an imminent crisis, Capital Bank proposed three reasonable adjustments to its repayment structure:

 

• A waiver of the GH¢14 million monthly interest payments to allow             reinvestment in operations.
• A reduction in the interest rate from 23% to 10%, in line with global financial recovery models.
• A conversion of the debt into equity, allowing the government to acquire a stake in the bank instead of forcing liquidation.

 

All three proposals were dismissed without justification, revealing the administration’s true intent—not to regulate, but to eliminate.

3. A Systematic Dismantling and Transfer of Assets

Rather than facilitating a structured recovery, the government forcibly liquidated Capital Bank, transferring its viable assets to Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB). Years of entrepreneurial effort were erased overnight, leaving thousands of employees, business clients, and stakeholders stranded—collateral damage in a government-orchestrated economic war against Ghanaian businesses.

4. The Hypocrisy of the GH¢26 Billion “Financial Sector Clean-Up”

Perhaps the most glaring evidence of the Akufo-Addo administration’s bad faith was its allocation of GH¢26 billion to a so-called financial sector clean-up—an amount vastly exceeding what was needed to support struggling banks.

Had even a fraction of these funds been directed toward local institutions, Capital Bank and others could have been saved. Instead, the administration chose destruction, consolidating financial power in foreign-controlled institutions while Ghanaian businesses perished.

The Verdict: A Tale of Two Governance Philosophies

Conclusion: The Cost of Bad Governance

The collapse of Capital Bank was not merely the downfall of a financial institution; it was the destruction of a Ghanaian success story. Ato Essien’s rise from microfinance to banking symbolized the potential of indigenous enterprise, yet his legacy was erased by a government more concerned with consolidating power than nurturing local businesses.

Under Mahama, the Bank of Ghana, led by Dr. Abdul Nashiru Issahaku, pursued policies that safeguarded Ghanaian financial institutions and preserved jobs. In contrast, Akufo-Addo’s administration, through Ken Ofori-Atta and Dr. Ernest Addison, used regulation as a political weapon to dismantle local enterprises, leading to economic hardship.

Governments have a constitutional duty to protect and promote the interests of their people. The contrasting approaches of these two administrations highlight the dangers of governance that prioritizes political expediency over national development. If Ghana is to achieve sustainable economic growth, future leaders must recognize that indigenous businesses are the foundation of national prosperity. The question remains: will future policymakers build Ghanaian enterprises, or will they repeat the mistakes of the past?

By Jesse Otoo

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