Attempts by the Minority group to impeach Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta as the Minister of Finance have proven futile.
During the censure vote on Thursday, December 8, 2022, all 136 MPs on the minority side voted in favour of the censure. However, it fell short of meeting the minimum 2/3 requirement.
Prior to the vote, the Majority group belonging to the side of the embattled Finance Minister staged a walkout leaving only the minority group in the chamber.
The walkout was headed by Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Mensah, who stated that his party cannot be a part of a process that is based on lies and is politically driven.
Speaking on the floor, Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated that the Minority caucus’ censure motion was pushed in bad faith and merely wanted to embarrass the Finance Minister.
“You [the Minority] want us to follow you on this misadventure. Mr. Speaker, like Pontius Pilate, did, we will wash our hands of this”, he said.
The Minority in Parliament presented a resolution for a vote of censure against Ken Ofori-Atta, accusing him of seven things, including conflict of interest, financial irresponsibility that caused the collapse of the Ghana Cedi, and egregious economic mismanagement.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin constituted an eight-member bipartisan committee to probe the allegations.
The 8-member ad hoc committee is chaired by the Adansi Asokwa MP, K.T. Hammond, and Bolgatanga East MP, Dominic Ayine.
Other members of the committee from the Minority side are; North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Klottey-Korle MP, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, and Akatsi South MP, Bernard Ahiafor.
The rest from the Majority side include; Okaikoi Central MP, Yaw Boahmah, Ashanti Akyem Central MP, Emmanuel Anyimadu-Antwi, and Sekondi MP, Andrew Egyapa Mercer.
By: Bernard Ralph Adams | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
