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Ghana is for the 17th time running to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) following a telephone conversation between the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the IMF Chief.

The President has directed the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to formally engage the IMF for what the government terms as a "balance of payment" support for its economic program.

A statement issued by the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, read; "The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has authorized Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to commence formal engagements with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), inviting the Fund to support an economic program put together by the Government of Ghana...The engagement with the IMF will seek to provide balance of payment support as part of a broader effort to quicken Ghana's build back in the face of challenges induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and, recently, the Russia-Ukraine crises."

Commenting on the issue on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, a lecturer at the Central University, was alarmed by the decision to move to the IMF for financial support.

Although stressing "there's nothing wrong to go to the IMF", he, however, emphasized that if "going to them won't benefit us, then there's no need for us to go there" and in view of this he questioned the logic in the Akufo-Addo government taking the country back to the IMF after exiting from it in 2019.

Dr. Otchere-Ankrah registered his displeasure with the move but also asked the President to put together a solid team to negotiate with the IMF since the nation is already seeking help.

"Government should do consultation and government must engage anybody at all who indeed has the knowledge to help," he said as he advised the President to gather all the great minds that can negotiate for a better deal for the country despite admitting that the IMF is coming to the negotiation table with preconceived notions about Ghana.