The Executive Director of the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA), Mensah Thompson, has said that the defeat suffered by some incumbent New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament in the party’s just-ended Parliamentary Primaries, was due to their opposition to the continuation in office of the of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
Mr Thompson noted that these MPs, per records, called for the removal of Mr Ken Ofori-Atta over the economic woes Ghana is currently facing.
“All the MPs who rose against Ken Ofori-Atta have fallen flat. From Adomako Kissi to Eugene Boakye Antwi, all of them are gone. It was predictable. I said it here, that none of the MPs who rose against Ken Ofori-Atta will come back to the next Parliament. It is only a few of them.”
When asked if he was implying that political machinations saw to such MPs’ downfall, he said “of course. You thought Ken Ofori-Atta was not going to retaliate?” Mr Thompson asked in an interview on Citi TV.
Eugene Boakye Antwi lost the Subin seat along with over 20 incumbent MPs.
In 2023, some 80 NPP MPs called for the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta from the Finance Ministry. In response, President Akufo-Addo urged them to await the approval of Ghana’s IMF programme.
The Minority then filed a vote of censure against Mr Ofori-Atta but this initiative was unsuccessful as the Majority led by Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu walked out of the chamber during a heated debate after they pointed out that the censure motion is unfair.
The Minority in Parliament has failed to remove Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, from office despite casting a secret ballot voting.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has indicated that the secret voting exercise executed by a one-sided Parliament to ensure a vote of censure against Ken Ofori-Atta is wasted.
The Minority in Parliament went ahead to cast their secret ballot on Thursday, after the Majority staged a walk-out.
The Majority led by Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu walked out of the chamber during a heated debate after they pointed out that the censure motion is unfair. The said 80 NPP MPs who are against a Finance Ministry headed by Ken Ofori-Atta were among the legislators who walked out.
Despite their absence, the Minority went ahead with the secret balloting.
After voting, Speaker told the House that the voting exercise is “loss” because it fails to uphold Article 82 (1) of the 1992 constitution which states that “1. Parliament may, by a resolution supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all the members of Parliament, pass a vote of censure on a Minister of State.”
In Parliament were 136 MPs on the Minority side. 136 votes supported the censure of the Finance Minister.
However, per the law, Parliament needs at least 184 MPs out of the 274 MPs, which is two-thirds of the MPs to pass a vote of censure on a Minister of State.
Ghana has already received a $3 billion credit facility from the IMF and all indications prove that Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta will keep his position.