The Minority caucus in Parliament has cautioned its members against absenting themselves when it finally moves the vote of censure motion against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta on Thursday.
The caucus said it would leave no stone unturned in its quest to see the back of Mr Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister.
Deputy Minority Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, told journalists on Friday that any member of the caucus who failed to show up on Thursday does so at his or her own risk.
“The motion of censure is slated to be moved on Thursday, the November 10, 2022, and the Minority Chip Whip, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka has sounded a note of caution to all Minority MPs that all 136 minority MPs must be in the chamber on Thursday.
“So any member who absents himself does so at his own risk because the whole Ghana is interested in this motion” the Banda MP stated.
Mr Ahmed who is also a Member of the Business Committee said the embattled finance minister had duly been served and would be in the chamber to offer his defence to the charged levelled against him by the Minority.
The motion, in the name of the Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, and 128 other MPs, was advertised for the first time on October 27, pursuant to Article 82(2)(a).
The Constitution provides that a motion for the resolution of the House to pass a vote of censure on a minister “shall not be moved in Parliament unless…seven days’ notice has been given of the motion.”
“The motion shall be debated in Parliament within fourteen days after the receipt by the Speaker of the notice for the motion,” the Constitution adds in clause three of Article 82.
The motion, filed on October 7, cited seven reasons why the Minister of Finance should be removed from office.
They include conflict of interest, unconstitutional withdrawal from the consolidated fund, illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts and fiscal recklessness.
The rest are deliberate and dishonest misreporting of economic data to Parliament, incompetence and gross mismanagement of the Ghanaian economy.
To be successful in their pursuit, the Minority must be able to garner 184 votes in support of the motion; 48 more than their 136 numerical strength.
It is unclear if the members of Majority caucus who wanted Mr Ofori-Atta out would back the motion having acceded to a request by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the finance minister to complete the IMF negotiation and the presentation of the 2023 budget statement and economic policy of government.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
