President Nana Akufo-Addo’s recent decision to appoint Ken Ofori-Atta, as the Senior Presidential Advisor and Special Envoy for International Finance and Private Sector Investments, merely a day after relieving him of his nearly 7-year role as the Minister of Finance, has sparked widespread debate and criticism.
Prominent figures, including renowned Ghanaian economist and an advisor to the Bawumia Campaign, Kwame Pianim, Professor of Finance, Godfred Bokpin, and member of the Finance Committee in Parliament Isaac Adongo, have openly questioned the rationale behind Ofori-Atta’s swift appointment.
Pianim went on record, to express his disapproval, stating that the move eroded the goodwill that came with the recent reshuffle of ministers.
The Alliance for Footsoldiers Advocacy (AFFA), a volunteer group affiliated with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), has also joined the chorus of disapproval.
The group issued a call to President Akufo-Addo, to reconsider and withdraw the appointment of Mr Ofori-Atta, as the Senior Presidential Advisor and Special Envoy for International Finance and Private Sector Investments.
AFFA, in a statement, argued that Mr Ofori-Atta, is the only Finance Minister in the Fourth Republic, who has faced public condemnation for his handling of the economy.
The group expressed concerns that appointing him to a new position, amid the current economic challenges sends the wrong message to the Ghanaian electorate.
The statement from AFFA, highlights the dissatisfaction among a segment of the population, including the ruling party regarding Mr Ofori-Atta’s past performance as finance minister. The group suggests that these sentiments are significant enough to warrant a reconsideration of his new appointment.
But the Minister-designate for the Ministry of Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, has defended President Akufo-Addo’s decision to reappoint the former finance minister.
According to the minister-designate, Ofori-Atta, still can offer advice on the financial sector, because he was the sector minister for a long time.
Fatimatu Abubakar, on TV3, noted that the president could fall on his negotiation powers as he is still in government.
“His capacity to guide or to advise in the financial sector is not lost just because he is no longer Finance Minister. If his skills are required elsewhere and the president feels he can help us with negotiations or can advise, I don’t think there should be a big problem about that,” she said.
A day after his removal from the Finance Ministry, President Akufo-Addo appointed, Ken Ofori-Atta, his cousin as his Senior Presidential Advisor and Special Envoy for International Finance and Private Sector Investments,
In a statement dated February 15, the Chief of Staff Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, extended congratulations to the former minister on his new appointment, expressing well wishes for his future endeavours.
Kwame Pianim, a stalwart of the NPP, lashed out at the President for appointing his cousin as a Senior Presidential Adviser and Special Envoy for International Trade, arguing that the appointment has eroded the goodwill that came with the recent reshuffle.
Mr Pianim on Accra-based Joy News, said Ken Ofori-Atta,v is the one who led Ghana into its current economic mess.
‘We don’t have an economy, so what is he going to advise on?’ – Pianim on Ofori-Atta’s new appointment
“Ken Ofori-Atta going is good for the optics. But the person who led us into the financial and economic crisis that we are in, we haven’t been here before… there has never been a time where Ghana has not been able to pay its bills and we are not going to start paying them until 2025 and this is the same guy who gets us kicked out of the Eurobond market, how can he be an envoy?
“I think Nana (President Akufo-Addo) knows that the international community are not that gullible so you don’t send him there. We don’t have an economy now, so what is he going to advise on?
“Too many people are walking around the Presidency. Let’s remove them. Both governments when they come, they remove a minister and he becomes a special adviser at the presidency. We don’t want that,” he stressed.
Prof Bokpin, also expressed his displeasure in the appointment of Mr Ofori-Atta, saying by his track record, he does not deserve to be reappointed to a higher position.
The University of Ghana don, disclosed how he fervently supported the Mr Ofori-Atta, when it was first announced that he would head the Finance Ministry because he was amongst the most qualified. However, he argued that in recent years and more particularly given the legacy he leaves behind, he has failed to live up to expectations.
“I respect Honourable Ken Ofori-Atta. Look, when he was appointed I supported his appointment looking at his performance in the private sector, we couldn’t have gotten it better, right? But overall let me tell you, what we see right now really does not give a compelling reason for him to be given another responsibility in the government,” he said to JoyFM on February 26.
Prof. Bokpin explained that leaders are usually visionary individuals who are able to anticipate problems and adopt strategic solutions. However, during the period when the Finance Minister was expected to exhibit these qualities, he let the country down, adding that this has led to the country’s economic hardship.
“Ghana and Kenya exited COVID-19 with similar economic fundamentals, similar challenges. The difference between Kenya and Ghana, as we speak right now, was simply because Kenya was a bit more proactive in reaching out to the IMF for fund-supported programmes right after COVID-19.
“But Ghana, that is where I think that Honourable Ken Ofori-Atta failed Ghanaians because part of leadership is to recognise the signs and the magnitude before the average Ghanaian gets to know. And the failure on the part of the Finance Minister then and the government overall in being proactive in reaching out to the IMF actually brought so much hardship on Ghanaians and I have said it, I won’t run away from that,” he added.
Isaac Adongo, on his part, said Mr Ofori-Atta’s appointment will make it difficult for the new Finance Minister to implement his initiatives.
He explained that after Mohammed Amin Adam, gets parliamentary approval on certain policies he would have to go to the executive for final approval and the President will subsequently run the policies through Mr Ofori-Atta.
On Monday, he told JoyFM, he explained that this might subsequently render the office of the Finance Minister useless, as it will have no influence on the country’s economy or expenditure.
“I have reason to say that what the President has done is technically to give Mohammed Amin one job with the left and take it back with the right. The appointment of Ken Ofori-Atta is akin to having a senior Finance Minister supervising the Finance Minister.
“If you know the way government works, the Finance Minister has to implement major policies through the cabinet and through executive approval of the President, and when he is going to Cabinet or he is going to seek approval from the President, the President will consult his Advisor and his Advisor is Ken Ofori-Atta.
“So if Ken does not agree with the policy orientation of the Finance Minister, it is as good as not even starting it because it won’t get cabinet or executive approval,” he said.
He stressed that the Finance Minister’s position might only be ceremonial, and he would have to follow the choices of Mr Ofori-Atta.
“So, how can we have a Finance Minister who cannot do things differently from the way they were being done before,” he asked.
Mr Adongo stressed that this might make it difficult for Mr Adam to implement new policies especially if his superior disagrees. Therefore, there might be no improvement in the economy.
“How can we not have a Finance Minister who can be independent in thoughts, who cannot come to the job with his own thinking of how things should be done; but then he must stay with the status quo. Unfortunately, if you even look at his envoy role, basically what they are trying to do is to let him be in charge of debt negotiation and our debt restructuring and all of that,” he added.
According to the government’s Spokesperson on Governance, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, Ghanaians must focus on the wealth of experience Mr. Ofori-Atta brings on board after serving as Ghana’s longest finance minister.
But Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, insists the re-appointment is necessary.
According to the government Spokesperson on Governance, President Akufo-Addo’s decision will give him room to tap from the rich expertise of the former finance minister.
“I am particularly surprise to think that anyone will think that the role that President Akufo-Addo has created is one that is duplicated in terms of the roles that are assigned to the Minister for Finance, the Minister of State and the two Deputy Ministers.
“I think that it is important that as a country as we move forward we focus on people’s unique service and also focus on people’s impact,” he added.
