Agyapa, financial sector crisis high on the list as Ken Ofori-Atta faces Appointments Committee today

Having been passed fit by his doctors in the United States, Finance Minister-designate Ken Ofori-Atta is set to face the Appointments Committee of Parliament today, March 25, 2021, in what is expected to be a gruelling vetting exercise.

Ofori-Atta is expected to be subjected to intense grilling by the 26-member committee which has thirteen members from either side of the house.

As already known, the vetting should have been done last month but Ken Ofori-Atta had to travel to the United States for medical care due to what his office said to be, ‘post-Covid-19 complications’.

When he takes his turn before the committee today, the soft-spoken Ofori-Atta is expected to face questions on the Agyapa Royalties deal as well as government expenditure on the coronavirus pandemic.

The financial sector crisis could also be a key feature of his vetting but with a seven-member bipartisan committee set to be established to probe the collapse of the banks and several court cases on the matter, it remains to be seen if the committee will ask questions on it.

Even before he mounts the ring to justify why he should be handed the position, Alex Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority leader is pleading with members of the committee to be lenient with him.

“This is a man coming from a family that is known for public service, dedication to national duty. His father, his uncles, his grandpas were all part of the struggle to make Ghana a better place. So that is in his DNA regardless of what somebody may think, he is ready to serve his nation,” he said.

He said, “I am happy that we are finally going to vet him…and give him the opportunity to tell his story – what he did as a Minister for the period that President Akufo-Addo appointed him – what plans he has for the future of our economy in the midst of this Covid, the strategies in place to create opportunity for the private sector and for the economy generally to grow.”

“We are looking forward to him using the platform to clarify what could as well be propaganda in the air poisoning the atmosphere and all those things,” he added.

But Dr Clement Apaak, the Builsa North MP is anticipating a feisty encounter between Ofori-Atta and members of the committee.