The Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North, Kwame Andy Appiah-Kubi who was one of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmakers who called for the sacking of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta two years ago, has said that they did not indicate that Mr Ofori-Atta should not be given any opportunity to serve in government at all.
He stated that their view was that Ghana’s economy would have been better if Mr Ofori-Atta was not the Finance Minister.
Mr Appia-Kubi said this while reacting to news that Mr Ofori-Atta has been given another portfolio after being removed.
According to sources available to the 3News’ Political Desk, the former Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, is set to be named a Senior Presidential Advisor to President Nana Akufo-Addo on all matters relating to the economy.
Speaking on the Ghana Tonight show on TV3 on Thursday, February 15, Mr Appiah-Kubi said: “Sometimes when you make a call it is subject to certain urgencies of the time. It has come a little late but better late than never because if it had come at the time we made the call, it would have been much greater than it is now.”
He added “we will take it as it is and say thank you Mr President for listening to us. Indeed it is the prerogative of the President to appoint persons to to positions depending upon his vision and the strategy of achieving the vision so I will give that to him.
“He has the constitutional mandate to do what he has done but we were complaining about the performance in the Finance Ministry and we thought that if he wanted the Finance Minister we would perform better so if he has listed to us and transferred him from one office where we thought that he needed a transfer we will take it as it is. But we did not say that Mr. Ofori-Atta should not be given any opportunity to work with the government at all, we were saying that we thought if he wanted the Finance Minister our situation would be better.”
He added “If this is a position that will be superior to the Finance Minister then I should be worried but I am not sure it is. The Finance Ministry has always worked independently of others, just that there is a collaboration, I don’t think there will be another portfolio that will be bigger than the Finance Minister and that the Finance Minister will submit to that newly created portfolio, I do think so. As long as the Finance Minister is not supplicated to the new portfolio I don’t have any problem, unless it becomes clear that the Finance Minister will have to work under the new portfolio, we will have problems.”
President Akufo-Addo relieved Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta of his portfolio in government, with immediate effect.
The other ministers who have also been removed include Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Works and Housing Minister Francis Asenso Boakye, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, Health, Kwasi Anoako Attah, Roads and Highways, Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Hon. Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, Gender, Children and Social Protection Hon. Lariba Abudu, Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Devt Hon. Dan Botwe, Sanitation and Water Resources Hon. Freda Prempeh, Tourism, Arts and Culture Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, Greater Accra Region Hon. Henry Quartey, Oti Region Mr. Joseph Makubu.
Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has however been reassigned to Works and Housing, Asenso-Boakye has also been reassigned to Roads and Highways.
This was announced by the Director of Communications at the Presidency Eugene Arhin on Wednesday, February 14.
“The President personally expressed his sincere appreciation directly to each of the Ministers and Deputy Ministers, who have exited Government, for their commitment, competence, dedication and hard work in office, which helped in the realization of Government’s mandate to the Ghanaian people over the last seven (7) years, and wished each of them well in their future endeavours,” the statement said.
