A Deputy Director of Communications of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ernest Owusu Bempah has reacted to calls by Bolgatanga Central Member of Parliament Isaac Adongo to the effect that Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta must resign or be sacked.
Mr Owusu Bempah said Mr Adongo has no knowledge about economics and hence should be disregarded.
Speaking to journalists in Accra on Thursday, February 16 after the Finance Minister’s presentation in Parliament on the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), Mr Owusu Bempah said “Where was Adongo when Seth Terkper was performing abysmally, 3 per cent GDP compared to Ofori-Atta’s 8.5 per cent GDP before Covid struck and the entire NDC including the media was telling Seth Terkper to resign, where was Adongo at that time?
“We don’t need Adongo because he doesn’t even understand economics. He is a midget when it comes to knowledge of economics. He was part of the leadership under Mahama who ran the economy like a casino economy. But for Akufo-Addo’s leadership the whole banking sector will have been ran down, you saw what happened in the banking sector, who was running the Ghanaian economy at that time? Was it not Mahama and Adongo?
“Was he even part of the Economic Management Team? Was he even a Deputy Minister? If he had that knowledge, why didn’t they invite him to be part of the economic discussion in Senchi when they even invited Akua Donkor, they respected Akua Donkor at that time more than Adongo.
“So I don’t see Adongo as a relevant person when it comes to the economy because when Mahama was in government, he respected Akua Donkor more than Adongo, Adongo’s views were not respected so why is he crying as of he is the economic messiah in this country, he is ridiculing himself, he has nothing to offer.
“At that time when Mahama was running the casino economy and he needed people to go to Senchi to take decision when they were planning to go to IMF at that time, where was Adongo? Akua Donkor was called there, why didn’t they call Adongo there?”
Mr Adongo had asked Mr Ofori-Atta, to resign on the floor of Parliament, where he was summoned to on Wednesday to explain the controversial DDEP.
Mr Ofori-Atta had appeared before the parliamentarians to explain the restructuring exercise being undertaken by government and that has led to the introduction of the Programme, which has led to the continuous picketing of pensioners at his Ministry.
The Finance Minister had explained that “government is committed to the well-being of our Senior Citizens and pensioners”.
“The government will honour their coupon payments and maturing principles.”
But commenting on the address, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP demanded the immediate resignation of Mr Ofori-Atta before going out of the House.
He said everything shows that the Finance Minister has failed in discharging his duty.
He insists that Mr Ofori-Atta has made government bonds riskier than they used to be to the extend that he says lending to him may be safer.
Mr Adongo said the Finance Minister only continues to quote the Holy Bible to cover up his incompetence.
The lawmaker asked Ghanaians to beware of public officers who do not demand payment for their service, alluding to the no-salary arrangement for Mr Ofori-Atta.
Mr Adongo said such state officials like Mr Ofori-Atta are dangerous to the health of the country and that is where the current Finance Minister has taken Ghana to.
Before Mr Adongo spoke, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, asked Parliamentarians to use parliamentary language rather than speak like in chop bars and markets in Ghana.
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana