Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has broken his silence on some 80 members of his caucus demanding the dismissal of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, and his deputies as well as the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, from office.
The Suame Member of Parliament (MP) told TV3‘s Roland Walker on Wednesday, October 26 that he engaged the disgruntled New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs but they did not agree with him.
Led by the MP for Asante-Akyem North Constituency, Andy Appiah Kubi, the aggrieved Majority MPs on Tuesday, October 25 called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to remove Mr Ofori-Atta due to the prevailing economic hardship.
They wanted him removed “without further delay”.
“We want the President to remove Ken Ofori-Atta and Chares Adu Boahen.
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“We are by this medium communicating our strong desire that the President changes the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State in the Finance Ministry without further delay.
“We want to serve notice, and notice is hereby served that until such persons as aforementioned are made to resign or removed from office, we members of the Majority Caucus here in Parliament will not participate in any business of Government by or, for the president by any other Minster.
“We hope that those of us in the back bench and members of the Majority caucus will abide by this prayer.”
But speaking in the interview with Roland Walker, Mr Osei-Kyei-Mensah questioned the timing, saying the appointment of a new minister, for instance, will take sometime and it will affect the timelines for the delivery of the 2023 budget statement proposed for Tuesday, November 15.
“My suggestion is that let’s hold it,” he intimated.
Later Tuesday evening, President Akufo-Addo is said to have met all the NPP MPs to discuss the matter.
The President is said to have asked for more time especially as Mr Ofori-Atta is leading government’s negotiations for the enhanced domestic programme (EDP) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“We have decided to recline and sit through and get back to the President,” the Majority Leader said, insisting that the caucus will find a way out of this conundrum.
He said the issue has now gone beyond the over 80 aggrieved MPs and now a caucus stance.
Meanwhile, Mr Appiah Kubi is insisting they will not budge an inch from their earlier demands despite meeting the President Tuesday night.
