‘Disastrous’ Ofori-Atta stay in office causes more damage to Ghanaians – Ablakwa

By Justice Dzido On Oct 27, 2022

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is not pleased with the response from the Members of Parliament (MPs) on the Majority side on why they have changed their mind for the immediate removal of Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister after meeting President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on the matter.

The Majority caucus in a statement said “it has agreed to accede to the President’s appeal” to allow the Minister stay in office to seal Ghana’s bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The NDC lawmaker however disagrees with the directive and argues that, the continuous stay in office of Ken Ofori-Atta and Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen will “cause more damage to lives and livelihoods.”

In a Facebook post, he described the Finance Minister as a “disastrous” personality who shouldn’t be allowed to “present a 2023 Budget and negotiate an IMF program he wouldn’t be around to implement.”

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The NDC Parliamentary Caucus must not withdraw the motion for a vote of censure on disastrous Ken Ofori Atta despite the statement from the NPP Caucus.

Why should disastrous Ken be allowed to present a 2023 Budget and negotiate an IMF program he wouldn’t be around to implement? That cannot be fair to his/her successor.

Why should Ghana be held to ransom by one man?

We need to also bear in mind that IMF negotiations can take a very long time as we have seen in many countries from Argentina, Greece to Zambia — numerous analysts don’t expect a Ghana-IMF agreement this year.

Another important consideration is that many Ghanaians cannot trust President Akufo-Addo to dismiss his cousin seeing that he has consistently preferred to put familial benefits above the national interest.

I urge our colleagues on the NPP aisle to remain steadfast with the Ghanaian people, remember all their constituents have been demanding and support our motion in the ultimate national interest.

Every single day disastrous Ken and dangerous Charles remain in office, they cause more damage to lives and livelihoods.

This is not the time for selfish survival deals for one family; it is the time to put Ghana first and expeditiously fix the collapsed economy for millions of struggling families.