A group of lawmakers from Ghana’s ruling party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), are planning to meet this week to renew their calls for the resignation of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
The group, which consists of about 80 MPs, believes that Mr. Ofori-Atta has failed to manage the country’s economy and should step down following the successful completion of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout deal.
Ghana received $600 million on Friday, May 19, as the first installment of a $3 billion three-year loan from the IMF to support its economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The loan comes with some conditions, such as fiscal consolidation, debt sustainability, and structural reforms.
One of the MPs pushing for Mr. Ofori-Atta’s exit, Eugene Boakye Antwi (MP for Subin), said that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo must honour his promise to sack the Finance Minister after securing the IMF deal.
“I have a duty to expose the shortcomings I see at the Finance Ministry… You should resign on your own accord based on principle and conviction,” Mr. Antwi said.
Background
In 2022, Andy Appiah Kubi (MP for Asante-Akim-North) and over 50 other NPP MPs demanded the removal of Mr. Ofori-Atta over the country’s economic challenges and threatened to boycott the 2023 budget presentation. They blamed him for the high inflation, depreciation of the cedi, rising debt, and low growth.
However, after a lengthy meeting with President Akufo-Addo, they agreed to give Mr. Ofori-Atta a three-week ultimatum to finalize the IMF deal before taking any further action.
Vote of censure: NPP MPs walk out as Parliament votes on Ofori-Atta’s fate
On December 8, 2022, members of the Majority caucus in Parliament staged a walkout when Parliament voted on a censure motion against Mr. Ofori-Atta initiated by some Minority MPs. The motion accused him of breaching some constitutional provisions and financial laws in his management of the economy.
The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who led the walkout, said they could not participate in a process that was unfounded and politically motivated.
