Politics

Minority to move vote of censure against Finance Minister this week

The Minority in Parliament will later this week move its vote of censure motion against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.

The caucus initiated the process in October citing mismanagement of the economy, alleged withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund, illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts among other reasons.

The Majority amidst calls for the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta urged the Minority to provide an opportunity for the Finance Minister to be heard.

Speaking to Citi News, the Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, said the Minority will ensure the removal of the Finance Minister.

“Where we are now, this Finance Minister cannot play the game. I strongly believe that, should we not be able to garner all the votes to make sure that the Minister goes, there is no constitutional provision that states that a motion should be slated once. The Minister has failed and if the President and Majority relent, the earlier we open the gates for him to go, the better.”

The grounds the Minority cites for the vote of censure are:

Despicable conflict of interest ensuring that he directly benefits from Ghana’s economic woes as his companies receive commissions and other unethical contractual advantages, particularly from Ghana’s debt overhang.
Unconstitutional withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund in blatant contravention of Article 178 of the 1992 Constitution, supposedly for the construction of the President’s Cathedral:
Illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts, in flagrant violation of Article 176 of the 1992 Constitution:
Deliberate and dishonest misreporting of economic data to Parliament 5. Fiscal recklessness leading to the crash of the Ghana Cedi which is currently the worst-performing currency in the world:
Alarming incompetence and frightening ineptitude, resulting in the collapse of the Ghanaian economy and an excruciating cost of living crisis;
Gross mismanagement of the Ghanaian economy which as occasioned untold and unprecedented hardship

I can turn economy around

Meanwhile, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, is fighting to save his job and has called on Ghanaians to trust in his competence and ability to rescue Ghana’s ailing economy.

Speaking at a meeting with the Association of Ghana Industries, Mr. Ofori-Atta said Ghana remains the best destination to do business.

“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,” the embattled Finance Minister said.