A leading member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) says attempts by the Minority caucus to impeach and remove Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta as the Minister of Finance will prove futile.
Nana Akomea indicated that the motion of censure filed against Mr. Ofori-Atta was a failure ab initio and that even if he is impeached President Akufo-Addo will revoke it.
Speaking on Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV on Friday, November 18, 2022, Nana Akomea slammed the NDC Members of Parliament for what he describes as their failure to take a “prudent decision” to engage the Majority caucus in the process.
“You the Minority people also want a certain result. Wouldn’t it have been prudent for you to sit down with your colleagues and say ‘okay, how do we come in? We will bring a vote of censure and decide together because you want the same result. That is what you do because you want the same result
“You work together. You don’t contradict each other and as a result of those contradictions a committee has been set up by the Speaker and the committee is looking at issues that you have brought which are criminal in nature (whether you deny it or not – they are criminal in nature). I am saying to you; you say press conferences don’t achieve anything but this particular press conference achieved something,” he told Akwasi Afriyie, the host.
Nana Akomea emphasized the need for the NDC MPs should have involved the MPs on the other side for their vote of censure to be feasible.
“Who told you your vote of censure will achieve anything if the other group [Majority caucus] doesn’t support you? If the Majority doesn’t support you will you get the required 180 votes? You cannot. And even if you succeed in your vote of censure what the Constitution says is very simple. It states in clause 5 of Article 82 that ‘where a vote of censure is passed against a minister the president may revoke,” he argued.
He insists the 1992 Constitution gives the president the opportunity to over the ruling and questioned why the Minority MPs are “rushing”.
“This vote of censure you are coming to beat (sic) us that it is the way to go and that is what will succeed. Even if you succeed, which is not likely, if you don’t get the support of the Majority, even if you succeeded, you have the numbers and you did it, it will still be left with the president,” he averred.
By: Bernard Ralph Adams | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
