By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
A former Power Minister, Dr. Kwabena Donkor, has called for the head of Ghana’s Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta for his failure to properly manage the Ghanaian economy which has forced the country to once again surrender to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout
The former Power Minister, who is currently serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Pru East Constituency in Bono East Region of Ghana is asking Mr. Ofori-Atta to resign from his post immediately.
According to Pru East lawmaker, the Finance Minister’s handling of Ghana’s economy is abysmal, and does not deserve to remain in office as the Minister in the wake of the country’s financial crisis.
The Pru East MP once resigned from his post back in 2015 due to his administration’s failure to end load shedding under his watch as Minister.
“I resigned (as Power Minister in 2015) on the basis of internal differences. We got to a point when I announced the end of load shedding. Some people disagreed and I said ‘Fine, then let me go’. Fortunately, after I left we didn’t experience that load shedding again and that is my satisfaction,” he said on Thursday.
On the back of this, he wants Mr. Ofori-Atta to emulate his gesture.
“The Minister should resign as a matter of honour,” he reiterated.
Already, there is pressure mounting on Mr. Ofori-Atta to resign following Ghana’s decision to seek an IMF bailout.
The Pru East MP has, however, suggested that the President may not be able to sack Mr. Ofori-Atta for political reasons.
He, therefore, urged the Finance Minister to do the honorable thing.
This, he believes, will give President Akufo-Addo the “the opportunity to appoint someone.”
“If you have somebody who only a few weeks ago said we will never go there is the one leading the negotiations that is an untenable position” he pointed out.
The former Power Minister believes that “in politics, the President’s hands may be tied… and therefore others will have to do the desirable.”
However, the Pru East lawmaker has threatened that Parliament would be forced to pass a motion of censure against Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta to remove him if he does not pay heed.
According to him the 1992 Republican Constitution of Ghana provides for a censure motion” which will be explored.
He maintained that Parliament will be delinquent on its responsibility if it does support such a push in a bi-partisan manner.