The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Bortianor-Ngleshie-Amanfrom Constituency in the Greater Region, Sylvester Tetteh, has added a new twist to the campaign for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to sack the finance minister, Ken Ofori Atta.
According to the MP, the two deputies of the finance minister, have joined the chorus for the removal of their boss over his abysmal management of the economy.
The two deputies: Abena Osei Asare, MP for Atiwa East Constituency in the Eastern Region and Dr John Kumah, MP for Ejisu Constituency in the Ashanti Region, support calls for the removal of the finance minister, Mr Sylvester Tetteh, revealed.
He said, the removal of the finance minister is a majority decision and not a decision of a few in the house.
He said the caucus decided to abide by the president’s decision to have the finance minister seal the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal as a show of respect.
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”We decided to lay back because of the caucus’ reverence for the president,” adding that the majority of the MPs felt that the president has been magnanimous to them.
“Some of us had the opportunity to serve in government because the president identified talents in us, so there was no need to disobey such a personality like the president,” he stated.
“It was unfortunate for the finance minister to come out and say many people do not understand the work he does when the matter was resting with the president,” he also said.
In reacting to the MPs’ quest to have him removed, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta said “as the minister of finance, no one needs to tell me the ravages of the cedi depreciation, which has become an albatross on the neck of our local industries and the high cost of living for all citizens.”
The finance minister made this comment while speaking to captains of industry at a forum organised by the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI).
Mr Ofori-Atta said, “We cannot continue to be a nation of importers.”
The Bortianor-Ngleshie-Amanfrom Constituency MP in responding to the finance minister on Accra-based Okay FM on Wednesday, November 9, 2022, said the minister’s reaction to the MPs call for his removal was highly unfortunate.
He said, this is not an individual affair, but a collective affair to save the country.
Recently, the Finance Minister, told those clamouring for his head, especially the Members of Parliaments (MPs) on both sides of the House that he is the right person to redeem the country’s sinking economy and take it back to its rightful position.
From his utterances, it is obvious Ken Ofori-Atta, has the assurance that he won’t be fired by the President, who is said to have demanded that he is given time to conclude negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and also present the 2023 Budget Statement before a decision is made on his stay at Finance Ministry.
With the entire New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs on the majority caucus in Parliament chasing him out office, as well as the 137 MPs opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) submitting a motion to censure him in the coming days, Mr Ofori-Atta, who has been in charge of the Finance Ministry since 2017, was expected to sound worried, but rather he maintains that he remains the right person to redeem the country’s sinking economy.
Speaking at a meeting with the Association of Ghana Industries, Mr Ofori-Atta, said calls for his resignation or dismissal, are ill-informed.
“Let me assure you that you have a Finance Minister who has gone through all the pains and the aches, and nobody can really say we don’t understand what we are doing. The question is what resources do we have and how are we going to deploy them in the nation that we have and how do we stand firm in very difficult circumstances, but being very confident?
“Let me assure you all that your best bet is still Ghana; we can do it, and we should do it,” Ofori-Atta said.
“Even though the issue started with a group of 80-plus, the caucus meeting aligned with the decision of that group.”
“So it is no longer the cause of the 80-plus group. It is the agenda for the entire caucus,” he revealed.
Ghana, has been seriously hit hard and is currently struggling to stabilize the economy as prices of goods and services keep going up daily, which has led to calls for the finance minister to resign.
Indeed, a demonstration was held last Saturday by a cross section of Ghanaians who demanded the resignation of the President, Nana Akufo-Addo
The majority caucus recently relaxed its demand for Mr Ofori-Atta’s exit from government after meeting President Akufo-Addo, who pleaded with them to allow his cousin to conclude ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concerning a $3-billion extended credit facility programme and also present the 2023 budget.
He said: “Just to assure you that you have a finance minister who has gone through all the pains and aches and nobody can, really, come and say, ‘we don’t understand what we’re doing’”.
“The question is: ‘What resources do we have and how are we going to deploy them in the nation that we have?’” he asked his audience.
“And how do you stand firm in very difficult circumstances but being very confident that the nation is purposed for greatness and you’re blessed to have the opportunity to lead where we are going”, he added.
“And, let me assure you all that, your best bet is still Ghana. We can do it. We should do it”.
A few days ago, President Akufo-Addo, said ongoing talks with the IMF are “going well” with a deal targeted at the end of 2022.
“We are determined to secure these arrangements quickly to bring back confidence and relief to Ghanaians”, he said in a national address on Sunday, October 30, 2022, adding: “We are working towards reaching a deal with the IMF by the end of the year”.
“This will give further credence to the measures the government is taking to stabilise and grow the economy, as well as shore up our currency”, the president noted.
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