Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has declared that the calls for the dismissal of Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister are not justified.
The Minister said the justifications so far for Ken Ofori-Atta to step down are neither here nor there.
Speaking on the Probe on Joy News, the Minister said although the Minister had in the past assured Ghanaians that Ghana would not go to the IMF, the government has made a u-turn, it does not warrant his removal from office.
He said the U-Turn does not make him fall short of the confidence reposed in him by President Akufo-Addo to run the country’s finances.
“If you look at the word that our finance minister has led us to do in the first part before these pandemics hit us, it will not support that argument that because he was initially of the view that we can do this domestically. He should be fired. I don’t think so,” he said.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah added that the Minister made his position on the IMF bailout clear, he does not work in a vacuum and that the collective decision of the President may override his conviction.
Former President John Dramani Mahama last week asked President Akufo-Addo to sack the Minister and not allow him to represent Ghana during the negotiations with the IMF.
To him, the Minister has lost credibility.
”The Finance Minister who has supervised the disastrous collapse of the economy cannot and should not be part of the team of negotiators. He has lost credibility and the trust and confidence of stakeholders in our economy.
President Akufo-Addo must take a bold decision to replace his finance minister immediately with a more assured and competent person who is willing and able to work tirelessly to turn our almost hopeless situation around.”
Mr. Mahama added ”In addition, given his obvious failures, the Vice President must be relieved of his responsibility as Chair of the Economic Management Team to enable the President to reconstitute the team.
We must draw useful lessons from this episode and avoid cheap politicking with the economy; that can only yield the disastrous outcomes that have brought us here.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
