Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to appear before the Ad-Hoc Committee in Parliament today Friday, November 18, 2022, to respond to a motion of vote of censure against him for poor performance and management of the economy.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, after hearing the intention of the motion set up an eight-member committee to investigate the motion.
Mr. Kobina Tahir Hammond, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi Asokwa, and Co-chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee, at the first hearing on Monday, said the matter had elements of criminality and political and civil responsibilities.
The Co-chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee added that the committee had decided that there must be an evidential basis for the allegations that were being made.
“We accordingly decided that we give the proponents of the Motion the opportunity to present to us (the Committee) and of course more importantly the particular individual involved in this matter and the specifics of the matter…” Mr. K.T Hammond said
Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, who is also a Co-Chair of the Committee and MP for Bolgatanga East, said the Minister of Finance who is the cause of the motion per Article 82(4) of the 1992 Constitution, had the right to be heard.
He added that the persons pushing for the motion were not accusers of the Finance Minister, he said the proponents for the motion did so due to the incompetence of Ken Ofori-Atta.
The Counsel for the Finance Minister, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko at the committee hearing appealed on the interest of fairness that the committee ensures that documents from the proponents were made available to his client.
However, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu mentioned the seven grounds for the censure motion against Mr. Ofori-Atta and the Ranking Member of the Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson in his delivery also indicated that Ken Ofori-Atta was constantly falsifying and misreporting economic data to the Parliament.
The Finance Minister at the hearing was accompanied by his wife, Professor Angela Ofori-Atta, the Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. John Ampontuah Kumah, and Mrs. Abena Osei Asare.
The Minority Members on the committee are Samuel Okudzoto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu; Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, MP for Klottey-Korle; and Mr. Bernard Ahiafor, MP, Akatsi South.
Tap on the link to watch live: https://www.facebook.com/Parliament.of.Ghana/videos/479271787382778
