Don't just fire Ofori-Atta, disband Bawumia-led Economic Management Team - Kwakye Ofosu demands

Don't just fire Ofori-Atta, disband Bawumia-led Economic Management Team - Kwakye Ofosu demands Felix Kwakye Ofosu, an aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to relieve the Vice President of his role as head of the Economic Management Team (EMT). According to him, calls for the sacking of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta together with his team were not enough. He argued in an October 25 Facebook post that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia should equally be asked to step aside as from his role as head of EMT. Kwakye Ofosu believes Bawumia has been ‘useless’ at the post thus he and other members of the EMT should be dismissed. The former deputy minister stated that the dismissals were the only way President Akufo-Addo can demonstrate seriousness in addressing the “horrific economic crisis” that the country is being confronted with. “It is not enough for Ken Ofori Atta and his team to go. Bawumia, who has been utterly useless as Head of the Economic Management Team, must be dismissed from that position together with all its members. That is the only way the President can demonstrate any level of seriousness at tackling the horrific economic crisis we are facing,” Kwakye Ofosu wrote on his page. Ghana’s economy has been facing a downturn in recent months with economists pointing to record-high inflation rates, fuel prices hikes and the fast depreciation of the Cedi as signs of the crisis. Under the present economic challenges, President Akufo-Addo and his vice, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia together with Ken Ofori-Atta (Finance Minister) have come under heavy criticism over their handling of the economy. But the president has on a number of occasions kept faith with his appointees and shot down a ministerial reshuffle. He insists that his ministers are performing well. On Ken Ofori-Atta, President Akufo-Addo touted his achievements stating that he was the one who turned the economy into one of the fastest growing economies in world in his first term and thus possessed the required skills to steer the country out the current crisis. On Tuesday, October 25 however, over eighty (80) MPs from the New Patriotic Party demanded the sacking of Ofori-Atta and Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Charles Adu Boahen. The minority caucus have also served notice to file a motion of censure to dismiss Ken Ofori-Atta from his role. The NPP MPs have threatened that they will boycott the 2023 budget debate if President Akufo-Addo fails to sack Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu Boahen. You can also watch this episode of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV: DS/SARA