Censure Motion: Ofori-Atta was able to acquit himself – Franklin Cudjoe

Franklin Cudjoe, President, IMANI Africa, has indicated that Ken Ofori-Atta, the embattled Finance Minister, was about to acquit himself with explanations when he appeared before the committee hearing motion of censure filed by the Minority MPs.

According to him, the nature of the accusations or the grounds that were made against him were on policy, while others were on issues around divergence that constituted deliberate breaking of the law.

Speaking on Citi FM/TV's 'The Big Issue' programme, Cudjoe explained, “I think that somehow the Minister acquitted himself with the explanations he gave simply because of the nature of the accusations or the grounds that were made against him. Some of them were on policy, others were on issues around divergence that constituted deliberate breaking of the law.”

“There were however a few explanations that were problematic, especially the ones that have to do with the cathedral. The grounds were a bit narrow, so it afforded him the opportunity to explain himself quite well, so he could have addressed them head-on,” Franklin Cudjoe added.

Censure Motion

The minority moved a censure motion to get the Finance minister out of office on the following grounds

-Despicable conflict of interest ensuring that he directly benefits from Ghana’s economic woes as his companies receive commissions and other unethical contractual advantages, particularly from Ghana’s debt overhang.

-Unconstitutional withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund in blatant contravention of Article 178 of the 1992 -Constitution, supposedly for the construction of the President’s Cathedral:

-Illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts, in flagrant violation of Article 176 of the 1992 Constitution:

-Deliberate and dishonest misreporting of economic data to Parliament 5. Fiscal recklessness leading to the crash of the Ghana Cedi which is currently the worst-performing currency in the world:

-Alarming incompetence and frightening ineptitude, resulting in the collapse of the Ghanaian economy and an excruciating cost of living crisis;

-Gross mismanagement of the Ghanaian economy which has occasioned untold and unprecedented hardship.