Ghanaian economist and leading member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Pianim, has expressed displeasure about the appointment of former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta as the Senior Presidential Advisor and Special Envoy for International Trade by President Akufo-Addo.
The Information Minister-designate, Fatimatu Abubakar, in an interview with TV3’s Beatrice Adu on Monday, February 26, justified the government’s decision to reassign the former minister of finance.
She said 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,” said Ms Abubakar.
But economist Kwame Pianim disagreed.
Mr Pianim speaking on Joy FM, said, “Ken Ofori-Atta going is good for the optics. But the person who led us into the financial and economic crisis that we are in—we haven’t been here before. There has never been a time where Ghana has not been able to pay its bills and we are not going to start paying them until 2025 and this is the same guy who gets us kicked out of the Eurobond market, how can he be an envoy?
“I think Nana [President Akufo-Addo] knows that the international community is not that gullible so you don’t send him there. We don’t have an economy now, so what is he going to advise on?” Mr Pianim added.
The NPP stalwart further pointed out that “too many people are walking around the Presidency. Let’s remove them. Both governments when they come, they remove a minister and he becomes special adviser at the presidency. We don’t want that”.
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.
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.