Minority still wants Ofori-Atta out despite ‘national asset’ tag

According to the minority the address did not have evidence of impact on the lives of Ghanaians

Barely eight days into the ultimatum given to the president by the Minority in Parliament to sack the Finance Minister for his involvement in the infamous ‘$2.25 billion Kenbond saga’, the president has expressed satisfaction with the work of the beleaguered minister so far.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his second State of the Nation address delivered Thursday, February 8 described the minister as a “national asset” through whose contribution “the world is taking notice of Ghana’s economic strides”.

According to the president, the economy of Ghana has started showing good results, a feat he attributed to the Economic Management team under the leadership of the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

“I am glad to report that the Economic Management Team, under the stellar leadership of the strong, brilliant economist, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, has risen to the challenge, and the hard work is beginning to show positive results.”

He further touted a Bloomberg report on the Ghana Stock Exchange as evidence of a well-performing economy.

“Last week, Bloomberg described Ghana’s Stock Exchange as the best performing Stock Exchange in the world for January, 2018”
The Minority, however, disagreed that the president addressed was the true state of the nation.

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddirisu, described the address as the ‘State of Promises Address’ which was characterized by praise singing.

Former Deputy Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson and MP for Damongo, Adam Mutawakilu, who were panelists on Media General’s post-State of the Nation Address discussion, also expressed same sentiments of dismay as to why the president would turn such an important event into a ministerial praise singing event.

For them the address did not have evidence of impact on the lives of ordinary Ghanaians.

The former Deputy Finance Minister said, “It is shocking that in the second State of the Nation Address the president still has not got any real projects that he has done”.

Background

Meanwhile, the Finance Minister has threatened taking the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to court over its investigations into the infamous ‘$2.25 billion Kenbond saga’.

CHRAJ’s investigation report had cleared the Finance Minister of conflict of interest but indicted him for some procedural infractions in the issuance of the bond.

The Minority has given the president a 14-day ultimatum to remove the Finance Minister from office or else they will “invoke Article 82 of the 1992 Constitution” to pass a vote of censure against him.