The Majority caucus in Parliament has reached an agreement with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, to see through the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal before a decision is taken on calls for his dismissal.
About 80 members of the caucus on Tuesday called for the dismissal or resignation of Mr Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu Boahen, the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry.
In a statement after the caucus met the President, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said they have “agreed to accede to the president’s appeal”.
Following the demand by the MPs, the Majority Leader said “the President engaged Members of the Caucus and requested that the issue be stood down until the conclusion of the round of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the presentation of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy in November, 2022 and the subsequent passage of the Appropriation Bill after which time the demand shall be acted upon.”
It continued: “After deliberations among the Majority Caucus [on] Wednesday, October 26, 2022, it was agreed to accede to the President’s appeal.”
The aggrieved MPs who constitute “a greater number of the Majority Caucus” had threatened to vote against all government businesses that will come before the House if Mr Ofori-Atta was not sacked.
The recent spiral depreciation of the Ghana Cedi and general developments within the economy, the spokesperson for the group and Asante Akyem North MP, Andy Appiah-Kubi, said was of great concern to the greater majority of members of the caucus and their constituents.
Efforts to have their grievances addressed behind closed doors, both at the parliamentary and party leaderships have yielded no result, he said.
“We have made our grave concern to the president through the parliamentary leadership and the leadership of the party without any positive response.
“We are by this medium communicating our strong desire that the president changes the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, without further delay in order to restore hope in the financial sector and reverse the downward trend in the growth of the economy,” they demanded.
Meanwhile, the Minority caucus’ motion to have Mr Ofori-Atta removed has been advertised for the first time.
By law, the motion is to be advertised for seven sittings before it is moved.
In the name of the Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, and 128 other MPs, the motion cites seven reasons why the Minister Of Finance must be removed from office.
The reasons are conflict of interest, unconstitutional withdrawal from the consolidated fund, illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts, fiscal recklessness, deliberates and dishonest misreporting of economic data to Parliament, incompetence and gross mismanagement of the Ghanaian economy.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
