It will be a miracle for Akufo-Addo to fire Ofori-Atta - Dr Apaak

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa South has said there is a likelihood that the agreement between some majority members in parliament and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo about the removal of the finance minister from office may not be realised.

According to Dr Clement Apaak, the president's failure to fire Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta despite the worsening economic conditions in the country means that he has no intentions of sacking him.

Speaking in a Good Morning Ghana panel discussion monitored by GhanaWeb, on Tuesday (December 12), the MP said that it will take a miracle for the finance minister to be removed from his position.

“I don’t think that this finance minister is going anywhere. I don’t think the president has the gravitas or the will to let him go.

“Mark my words … it will be a miracle for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to let Ken Ofori-Atta go. Under these circumstances, he is still making excuses why Ofori-Atta must stay in Office. Did you think it is when these conditions are beginning to ameliorate that he will grant the wish of his party in Parliament?” he said.

He added that the sudden change of heart by New Patriotic Party MPs, who were calling for Ofori-Atta’s head, feeds into allegations that the said MPs have been financially induced to drop their demand.

The leadership of the NPP signed an agreement with the MPs of the party, which required them to be present for the reading of the 2023 budget by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

A meeting between the lawmakers and leaders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was held on November 23, during which some agreements were reached.

The main points are that Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, would be supported in presenting the budget and seeing through its appropriation. Also that he will be allowed to complete the current phase of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) before Akufo-Addo decides to sack him.

The meeting was organised on the back of renewed calls by some 98 NPP MPs, who threatened to boycott the budget presentation if Ofori-Atta was the one to present it.

Watch the MP’s interview below:



Watch the second part of Elvis Afriyie Ankrah's interview on GhanaWeb TV below:





Also watch the nomination for the GhanaWeb Excellence Awards Youth Edition below:



IB/WA