Ken Ofori-Atta, Finance Minister
The leadership of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has asked its Members of Parliament to refrain from a scheduled vote of censure sought by the minority caucus against the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.
The decision follows what the party calls ‘broader consultations’ and engagements with stakeholders about the future of the Finance Minister.
A statement issued by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua, yesterday, directed the leadership of the majority, especially the whips to ensure that no member of the caucus partakes in the exercise.
“While the national executive body acknowledges the prevailing socio-economic conditions in the country and the need for urgent remedial interventions, it is our utmost position that the demand of the NDC-led Minority Caucus is ill-intended and aimed at derailing government’s efforts at resolving current socio-economic upheavals,” the statement noted.
The NPP leadership explained that the Minister of Finance is the leader of government’s negotiation team with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) saying, “considering that negotiation with the IMF is nearly completed, the National Executive body of the Party strongly believes that the removal of the lead person spearheading the negotiation may adversely impact the progress made thus far.”
Lack of credibility
The party recalled that when similar calls were made for the head of Mr. Seth Tepker, a former Minister of Finance during the socio-economic turbulence under the erstwhile Mahama administration in 2015, the NDC-led majority caucus objected to those calls and rose to his defence.
“That is a clear indication that the NDC lacks credibility on this matter,” the statement added.
He, therefore, emphasized that neither the NPP nor its MPs will “lend support to this mischievous move by the NDC legislators.”
“It is one of their many ill-motivated and self-serving but unpatriotic moves to sabotage the NPP government and frustrate the administration of the country,” it emphasized.
The NPP leadership further assured its MPs and Ghanaians that there are ongoing internal engagements aimed at addressing legitimate concerns expressed by various stakeholders regarding the management of the economy, including calls for the resignation or dismissal of the Finance Minister.
