The Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has hinted that Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta would be dismissed or step down in the next few days.
He claims that throughout the past several days, there has been discussion in both caucuses of Parliament regarding Ken Ofori-Atta’s resignation and even removal from office.
Speaking in a yet-to-be-aired PM Express interview, he said “There is rumour all over, that the Minister of Finance is going to resign or they are sacking him in the coming days and that this is his last budget. In fact, colleagues in parliament are all over. So we have to say bye-bye to him for messing us up. His legacy is there for everybody to see.”
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He added that many firms failed during the Finance Minister’s tenure because he made the economic environment extremely tough for them to operate in.
This, he claims, has harmed his reputation, and it is one of many things for which the minister will be known.
On the back of this, he stressed that “This is the Minister of Finance who knows how to borrow to benefit his personal business and those of his colleagues. His legacy is that he will be remembered for destroying rival businesses.
“He will be remembered for destroying and bringing the Ghanaian economy, particularly the financial sector to its knees. He tortured pensioners and sent many of them to their early graves. Our Finance Minister is the one who gave cruel and painful haircuts and destroyed many Ghanaian families.”
Citing a UNDP estimate, Ajumako Enyan Esiam MP claims that Mr. Ofori-Atta has driven over 8.5 million Ghanaians into extreme poverty.
Once more, the lawmaker said that since Ghana’s current economic problems are a team effort, Vice President Dr. Bawumia and Central Bank Governor Ernest Addison should act in tandem if the Minister’s dismissal is carried out.
In agreement with Dr. Forson, the minority chief whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza, said, “This Finance Minister, if this is his last budget, which we are hearing, this is a very poor performance.”
He continued by saying that everyone else has left him to his destiny, even though the economic management team’s collectively appalling performance is what caused Ghana’s economic problems.
“I am not surprised that while the problems he created were not created by him solely, it was created with the blessing of Dr Bawumia who is the chairman of the Economic Management Team, Dr Bawumia curiously decided not to follow him to parliament. Today the Governor of the Bank of Ghana also decided not to follow him, they have left him to hang out and dry,” he said.
Meanwhile, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has refuted the claims, saying he was unaware of any negotiations to replace the Finance Minister.
