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Safe to say we are in the era of ‘internet doesn’t forget,’ a reference to how comments or positions held by a person could easily be dug up in the event that they add nuance to current conversations.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo are undoubtedly the most talked about politicians in the last few days.
Ofori-Atta because of a call by some members of his party, the New Patriotic Party, NPP; calling for his sack and Akufo-Addo because of his ‘refusal’ to accede to that request – at least immediately.
Akufo-Addo has serially stood by his under fire Finance Minister despite an economic downturn that has seen Ghana run to the International Monetary Fund, IMF, for a programme.
A video has popped up of how Akufo-Addo since Day 1 had spoken highly of his Finance Minister in early 2017 when he was introducing members of his cabinet to the public at the Jubilee House.
A UTV video that has been in circulation on social media shows Akufo-Addo call on Ofori-Atta to join him on a stage as the then new President speaks about his appointee’s academic and professional pursuits as well as experience with the local and global economy.
“He is arguably, one of the most successful bankers not in our country, an American-educated Colombia, Yale and the rest, worked in Wall Street as a youngman, Morgan Stanley and Solomon Brothers and when he returned here to Ghana …. combined with his partners, co-found what has become what has become the most successful investment bank in our country, that is Databank,” Akufo-Addo said in his introduction.
In arguing out why the choice of Ofori-Atta, he stated: “We want to get the Ghanaian economy fully back on track and developing so that we can create jobs and raise living standards of our people.
“We need an economist, we need somebody with finance, who has the range, who has the capacity and has the insight into how to move modern economies.
“I believe that most people who are dealing in the capital markets of our country would acknowledge him as one of the most outstanding figures in it,” he stressed.
Ofori-Atta was subsequently vetted and appointed, serving throughout the first term of Akufo-Addo, he was reappointed in 2021 to continue as Finance Minister, making him the longest serving Finance Minister in the Fourth Republic.
Breakaway NPP MPs call for Ofori-Atta’s head
The group said it will not do business with government nor support the 2023 Budget if the president fails to heed their call to remove Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen.
According to them, the move follows previous concerns sent to the government that have not yielded any positive results.
“We have had occasions to defend allegations of conflicts of interest, lack of confidence, and trust against the leadership of the Finance Ministry.
“The recent development within the economy is of major concern to our caucus and our constituents. We have made our grave concern to our president through the parliamentary leadership and the leadership of the party without and positive response,” Andy Appiah Kubi said.
The MPs believe the move will change the current economic situation in the country.
“We are by this medium communicating our strong desire that the president changes the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry without further delay in order to restore hope into the finance sector and reverse the downward trend in the growth of the economy,” he added.
