Information Minister-designate Fatimatu Abubakar has justified the new portfolio of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
She says Mr Ofori-Atta’s capacity to provide advice in the financial sector is never in doubt.
“His capacity to guide or to advise in the financial sector is not lost just because he is no longer Finance Minister. If his skills are required elsewhere and the President feels he can help us with negotiations or can advise, I don’t think there should be a big problem about that,” she told TV3’s Beatrice Adu in an interview on Monday February 26.
Asked whether his appointment is justified because he is qualified for it, Madam Abubakar said “Of course.”
Mr Ofori-Atta has received a new portfolio in the Akufo-Addo administration following the much-anticipated reshuffling by the President.
In a letter dated February 15, 2024 and signed by the Chief of Staff, Frema Osei-Opare, the former Finance Minister has been appointed as Senior Presidential Advisor and Special Envoy for International Finance & Private Sector Investments.
“I am pleased to inform you that the President of the Republic has appointed you as the Senior Presidential Advisor and Special Envoy for International Finance and Private Sector Investments.
“I take this opportunity to congratulate you formally on your reassignment and wish you the very best in this new office.
“Please accept the President’s best wishes,” portions of the letter read.
Ken Ofori-Atta received the letter a day after the President announced the reshuffle of some cabinet ministers.
In his stead, Mohammed Amin Adam a former Deputy Energy Minister and Minister of State at the Presidency has been appointed as the finance minister.
Reacting to the appointment of his replacement, Mr Ofori-Atta described Amin Adam as a blessing for the future of Ghana.
“The future is here with us as we are blessed with a new leader, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, who replaced the venerable Charles Adu Boahen and has been with us through some of the most difficult times. Let us all circle the wagons and ensure a blazing success for his stewardship,” Ken Ofori-Atta indicated in a release.
The former Minister of Finance continued, “We all know him as a smart, humble and inclusive leader. Let me state with all humility that nothing would honour me and the ‘Office of the Minister more than for you to work with renewed diligence to guide Hon. Amin and our nation to the successful execution of the IMF-ECF programme to promote economic growth and transformation.”
Also reacting to this, a Governance Expert, Prof Baffour Agyeman-Duah, said that the new portfolio of Mr Ofori-Atta interferes with the effective and smooth administration of the new Finance Minister, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam.
He said that the new role of Mr Ofori-Atta suggests that he will be dealing directly with the country’s international financial engagements, especially negotiations either for debt arrangements or new loans, something the new Finance Minister Dr Amin Adam should be doing.
“That position will seem to suggest that somehow he is going to be dealing directly in the country’s international financial engagements, especially negotiations either for debt arrangements or new loans.
“The question is whether this is going to overshadow the work of the new Finance Minister, because as the new Finance Minister he is leading the country in meeting our international obligations and negotiations on that, he should be the one to lead negotiation for new loans, but if Mr Ofori-Atta is going to be an envoy for international finance then that will suggest that somehow he will be playing a leading role,” he said on the Ghana Tonight on TV3 Friday February 23.