Business News of Thursday, 17 November 2022

Source: peacefmonline.com

Sack Ofoti-Atta now or we boycott every government business - 98 NPP MPs

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta play videoFinance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta

Ninety-eight(98) New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament have reignited calls for Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to be axed.

They have threatened to boycott the upcoming 2023 budget presentation and all Finance Ministry business should the President refuse to sack him immediately.

It may be recalled that over 80 MPs on Tuesday, October 25, held a press conference to demand that Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu Boahen be sacked from their respective roles.

This led to a meeting with President Akufo-Addo where he requested that the Finance Minister be allowed to conclude the IMF talks and present the 2023 budget statement.

Charles Adu Boahen has since been sacked by President Akufo-Addo after a latest investigative piece by ace Investigative Journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas implicated him.

Majority call

Subsequently, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu indicated that the call for the Finance Minister to be axed is from the entire Majority caucus.

“Even though the issue started with a group of 80-plus, the caucus meeting aligned with the decision of that group. So it is no longer the cause of the 80-plus group. It is the agenda for the entire caucus,” Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu told Journalists in Parliament.

However, the NPP MPs seem to have changed their minds about allowing the Finance Minister to present the budget statement. They want Ken Ofori-Atta gone immediately.

No Turning Back

The Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North, Andy Appiah-Kubi, who doubles as Spokesperson for the group speaking in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' said, "we are not only going to boycott the budget presentation, we are also not going to be part of any business done through him and that is our position now".

"Yes, we are not part of the vote of censure . . . we want him gone, but by using a better approach and that is what we're doing . . . indeed we agreed to the President's request to wait but analyzing various public statements, especially from Ofori-Atta, it shows disrespect. It gives the impression that the President has no plan to dismiss him even after the budget presentation and so we've changed our mind; his dismissal should be now," he insisted.

The Asante Akyem North MP has further assured that they won't change their stand even if the President calls for another meeting.

"I can assure you that our current position won't be changed," he added.

Meanwhile, the Finance Minister is now facing a vote of censure from the Minority side of Parliament.

Watch video below: