Gyampo justifies decision by NPP MPs to delay Ofori-Atta’s removal but asks them critical questions

A Professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo has justified the decision by the Majority in Parliament to agreed to a plea by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to have his ministers at the Finance Ministry stay on a little longer despite pressure from the caucus.

Some members of the Majority caucus on Tuesday, October 25 demanded the removal of the sector minister, Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta, and the Minister of State at the Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, as well as their deputies for the poor management of the country’s economy.

They threatened that they will have no business to do in Parliament for the government if this demand is not met.

“We are by this medium communicating our strong desire that the President changes the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State in the Finance Ministry without further delay,” Asante-Akyem North Member (MP) Andy Appiah-Kubi led the over 80 MPs.

“We want to serve notice, and 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 by any other Minster.”

A meeting was subsequently called later Tuesday evening by President Akufo-Addo, who appealed for some time for his embattled ministers especially as Ghana is negotiating a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the 2023 budget is also being compiled.

Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on Wednesday, in an interview with TV3‘s Roland Walker, promised to go back to the aggrieved MPs for a meeting and get back to the President.

On Wednesday, he released a statement on the outcome of the meeting with all the Majority MPs.

“After deliberations among the Majority Caucus today, Wednesday, 26th October, 2022, it was agreed to accede to the President’s plea.”

Speaking on this matter on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday October 28, Pro Gyampo said if the MPs had not agreed with the president, the next was going to be that the Council of State and the National Chief Imam calling on them to accept the president’s decision.

That, he said, would have created a certain image about those MPs.

“If they hadn’t done that they would have been seen to be intransigent more than the president, the next moment you will hear the Council of State, the Chief Imam calling them,” he said.

He added “The man may leave yet, he will remain with us throughout 2023. Why do we want to foist a budget of somebody who has been rejected on us, the ideas that have landed us in this will be with us throughout 2023, if we are lucky we may get a Finance Minister to amend the budget with mid year budget.

“We cannot be tolerant of a budget that has been prepared by Ofori Atta for 6 months.”

By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana