Give us replacement of Ken Ofori-Atta from Parliament - Subin MP Eugene Antwi

The Member of Parliament for the Subin constituency in Kumasi, Eugene Boakye Antwi, who is part of some MPs from the majority side calling on President Akufo-Addo to remove Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister says, they want a parliamentarian as replacement.

He said the move and the call for President Akufo-Addo to take that "bold decision" to remove Mr Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu Boahen from the Finance Ministry was for "the good and future of the NPP [New Patriotic Party]".

If Ken Ofori-Atta goes out as Finance Minister, "the president has a pool of competent people, experienced people in the House of Parliament that can easily replace Ken Ofori-Atta.

"We want somebody in Parliament, we want somebody that we can see, we want somebody who respects Parliament," he said.

In a radio interview with Accra based Citi FM on Tuesday evening [October 25, 2022], monitored by Graphic Online, Mr Boakye Antwi said they don't want a Finance Minister from outside Parliament.

"We as NPP members will be urging President Akufo-Addo to bring us an MP, somebody who understands the work of parliament, somebody who is going to be with us.

Asked about the name he has in mind, he said the name he has, he is not the one who appoints but they are praying for President Akufo-Addo to bring an MP.

We don't want a non MP Minister for Finance anymore, he added. "We want a minister who can work with us.

One way street

"It is a one way street now, the President must listen to MPs who are going to support his business in the House, or decide to stick with his cousin and then lose some of us, because what we've told the president is simple, if he will still pick Ken Ofori-Atta as minister of finance and Charles Adu Boahen, some of us, we are going to boycott government business in the House," Mr Antwi said.

Will there be a U-turn?

Mr Boakye Antwi disagreed with a suggestion that the MPs could change their minds when they are whipped in line by the Majority caucus.

"I can assure you that my colleagues who have appended their signatures will not back down. I'm telling you, free consultancy. We have all sat down and reflected, we have all sat down and analysed the situation, that the course the president is taking us, can only see a wipe out at the 2024 elections if we don't take a decision now. So it is not about money... we are worried as members of Parliament."

Are you bitter?

Asked if he was bitter because President Akufo-Addo did not re-appoint him as a deputy minister in his second term, Mr Boakye Antwi said: "I have followed the president for two decades, when I met him, he was a foreign minister, I was his polling agent in Legon in 2007 [NPP presidential primary]. I am more interested in his legacy, than what people are talking about."

Any body who says I am bitter, "I will say the person lacks intelligence. I did not go and beg Akufo-Addo for the position of a deputy minister, my record as a deputy minister is for all to see at the Works and Housing Ministry. You can go and see competence, you can go and see honesty...

"The president appoints, if he is not happy with you, he won't appoint you, that is a matter for the president. We don't write exams to be ministers.

"Why should I be worried [that I am opposing his choice of Finance Minister because he did not retain me as Deputy Minister], are all the ministers competent than me, are they more exposed than me or what. Don't let us bring in these debates, the president has the power to appoint and he disappoints, that is his business. I am talking about my party, I am talking about the future direction of this government, that we want to continue to win successive elections.

If we are going to do so, then what we ought to do is to let the President sit up and take a bold decision in the interest of the party, like I said earlier elsewhere, we are running a democracy, not a family dynasty, it is as simple as that."

He was reacting to concerns that he for example was peeved and had joined the back bench rebels because he was not appointed as a minister in President Akufo-Addo's second term.

Read also: Sack Ken Ofori-Atta to restore hope in economy - 20 Majority MPs

Some Majority Members of Parliament on Tuesday asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to remove the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Minister of State at the ministry, Charles Adu Boahen, from office.

The move, the group said could help restore confidence in the Ghanaian economy.

Addressing the media in Parliament Tuesday morning, spokesperson for the group, Andy Appiah-Kubi, who is the NPP Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North said they will not do business with the government if the president fails to heed to their call.

He said members from their side will not participate in any government business including the budget hearing until their demands were met.

"The majority has expressed great concern about our economy and our attempts at reaching out to the president through his Ministers have failed.

“We are by this serving notice and indeed, notice is being served now that if the president fails to act, we will not do business with him," he said.