It’s Showdown Over Ofori-Atta

Dust remain unsettled over a motion of censure filed by the Minority in Parliament to get Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta removed from office and an 8-member ad-hoc committee for set by Parliament to consider the merits or otherwise of the motion promises to be full of fireworks this week.

Even before the Committee starts work, one of its members, the Member of Parliament  (MP) for the North Tongu Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has stated publicly that he and the 4 members representing the Minority Caucus on the Committee would insist all its meetings are telecast on live television.

“I am really excited that this matter is going to play out in the next seven days and I will suggest strongly when we meet at Committee that proceedings should be telecast live on television and radio and streamed on the internet so the whole world would follow,” Okudzeto Ablakwa noted on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana Friday morning, a day after the Committee was set up and tasked to present its report within 7 days.

Another  voice from the Minority Caucus, though not a member of the ad hoc committee who has also public called for a live telecast of the proceedings is the MP for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George.

“I want to make a plea that the sittings of the committee be telecast live given the nature of the matter and be made public just like the Sputnik V committee in the spirit of transparency and accountability,” Sam George told Speaker Alban Bagbin on the Plenary  minutes after the Committee was formed last Thursday November 10.

In response to Sam George’s plea on the Floor, the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin argued that whether or not the proceedings of the ad-hoc Committee to probe the censure motion against Ofori-Atta would be help in camera or beamed live on television is a decision for the Committee to decide rather than an imposition placed on the members.

Telecasting the Committee’s works live would mean that the general public would be privy to an uncensored, unedited, no-holds-barred report of the exact allegations against Ken Ofori-Atta, the evidence to prove the allegations and how he or his lawyers admit guilt or respond with a superior evidence to prove his innocence.

7 Grounds of Censure

Minority Chief Whip who doubles as MP for Asawase, Muntaka Mubarak filed the censure motion for the immediate removal from office of the same Ken Ofori-Atta on Tuesday dated October 25, 2022

The Minority stated seven reasons behind their decision to file the motion including the 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 and the 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:

The Minority group also mentioned the alarming incompetence and frightening ineptitude, resulting in the collapse of the Ghanaian economy and an excruciating cost of living crisis and the gross mismanagement of the Ghanaian economy which as occasioned untold and unprecedented hardship.

Who Is Who In Committee?

The 8 member ad-hoc Committee is co-chaired by Adansi Asokwa MP, K.T. Hammond (Majority) and Bolgatanga East MP, Dominic Ayine (Minority).

Kobina Tahir Hammond, aged 62,  is  MP for Adansi Asokwa and a lawyer by profession. He entered parliament on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in January 2001 after emerging winner in the General Election in December 2000. He has since then had a run of five consecutive terms in office. and has been in Parliament.

Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, aged 56, is a lawyer and entered Parliament on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He was a member of the 6th, 7th and now 8th Parliament of the Fourth Republic.

The six other members are split evenly from both the Majority and Minority sides.

From the Majority side are  Okaikoi Central MP, Yaw Boahmah, Ashanti Akyem Central MP, Emmanuel Anyimadu-Antwi and Sekondi MP, Andrew Egyapa Mercer.

While on the Minority side are North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Klottey-Korle MP, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings and Akatsi South MP, Bernard Ahiafor.