6 hours agoThe Member of Parliament for Subin Constituency, Eugene Boakye Antwi says the call by some NPP MPs for the removal of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta is to address assertions by President Akufo-Addo that the demand is political.
According to the former Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, it is time for the President to acknowledge that the demand is from Ghanaians and not just the opposition NDC.
Speaking on PM Express on JoyNews, Mr. Boakye Antwi stressed that the call by the NPP MPs was in the right direction.
“A month or two ago, the President was in the northern part of Ghana, where he said that those calling for the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta were NDC people. So we have to demonstrate to him after spending three months in our respective constituencies that our constituents have sent us to come and deliver to him a very very cold message that Ken Ofori-Atta must be asked to step aside.
“That is where we find ourselves and for anybody to say that what we did today at Parliament House is not in the best interest of the party or government needs to re-examine themselves.”
On Tuesday, some New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentarians demanded for the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister.
The MPs, numbering about 80, held a press conference to impress on the President to relieve his cousin of the responsibility of managing the national purse or risk losing their support for government business going forward.
They also want the Minister of State in charge of Finance at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen, to be subjected to a similar fate.
“Notice is hereby served that until such persons as aforementioned are made to resign or removed from office, we members of the Majority caucus here in parliament will not participate in any business of government by or for the President [or] by any other minister,” MP for Asante Akyem North, Andy Appiah-Kubi who addressed the press said.
This call follows similar sentiments by opposition legislators who have constantly called for the Minister’s head with some civil society organisations joining the fray at a point.
Despite the calls and backlash, President Akufo-Addo insists that Mr. Ofori-Atta is one of his best performing ministers, hence his decision to retain him in office.
But touching on this, Mr. Boakye Antwi argued that a new face heading the Ministry of Finance will rekindle some hope in Ghanaians amidst the current economic crisis.
“Ken Ofori-Atta has done his bid for the last six years. Under all the democratic dispensation since independence, he is the longest serving minister.
“Sometimes when we bring fresh faces, it sort of rekindles the base and energizes the people. People have fresh hope and aspiration. But having him part of the problem, how is he going to be part of the solution and that is why we think the President must really reconsider his position.
“We are not just worried about the direction of the party going forward, people must understand that this is not personal,” he added.
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