“I felt conflicted because I was deciding how many meetings to have in a given month.” Dr. Ofori Tenkoran explained. “If you were paid every time you had a meeting, as you can imagine, what you can do in one meeting could be extended to two or more meetings, because you get paid more.”
Despite being legally entitled to a range of benefits, including first-class travel accommodation and generous per diems on international flights, Dr Ofori-Tenkoran chose a more frugal approach. He chose to travel in the same class as other executives and did away with the provision that allowed him to claim additional per diems for the days he traveled.
“Even though I am entitled to fly first class, I amended the approved terms of service to prevent me from flying first class on foreign trips.” Dr Ofori Tenkoran said: “With the help of EXCO, we have removed the so-called travel day provision, which collects the full per diem during the flight.”
Dr Ofori Tenkoran’s decision to forego personal interests is consistent with his commitment to reduce the Trust’s spending and promote transparency. He urged officials to be prudent in their demands to protect public trust in SSNIT’s management.
“The good books say everything is legal, but not everything is useful.” Dr. Ofori Tenkoran said: “I have made reasonable personal sacrifices for the Trust, which I do not wish to enumerate here.”
As Dr. Ofori Tenkoran retires from office, his legacy of integrity and financial stewardship will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on SSNIT and its stakeholders.