Censure Motion: Ofori-Atta is not minority's target; they want to impeach Akufo-Addo - Kabila

Managing Editor of the National Forum newspaper, James Kwabena Bomfeh says the censure motion by the Minority in Parliament against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, is a decoy to take President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government down.

On Tuesday, November 15, 2022, the Minister and his Counsel, Gabby Otchere-Darko appeared before a Parliamentary Committee probing the vote of censure against the Finance Minister.

The Minority provided former Deputy Finance Minister and current Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency, Cassiel Ato Forson and Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu as witnesses to adduce reasons for the removal of Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta.

They raised issues bordering on corruption and conflict of interest to support their arguments.

Speaking at the committee sitting, Gabby Otchere-Darko, a private legal practitioner and a leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) said such a probe is the mandate of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).

“Our issue is that, if you go to Article 284 of the Constitution, it says that, a public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts or is likely to conflict with the function of his office.”

“If you combine that with Article 287 which says an allegation which contravenes or not complied with this chapter shall be made to CHRAJ. The relevant part is that, when a public officer is to face a charge or allegation or any ground of conflict of interest, it is CHRAJ that the constitution says must deal with it,” he added.

But Haruna Iddrisu, in defence, stated that, “this Committee is not only to hear [the allegations], it also has the power to do a further inquiry into all government borrowing; who got what, when and how? All the domestic bonds we have done, for instance, the Euro Bond, who got what? We must be interested in whether our inquiry, engendered a conflict of interest or not”.

To James Kwabena Bomfeh, also called 'Kabila', the Minority's aim for the censure motion is not to evict the Finance Minister but rather to embarass the President and have cause to impeach him.

Making his submissions on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, he said; "When I saw the evidence that the Minority had gathered for the censure, I realized the Minister is not their target. The President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is their target . . . Any problem you have with any budget is an attack on the President and his cabinet. When you read what they sent, they said he has presented a budget that's failed to solve the economic problems and challenges. That is the point; so at the hub of this censure is the Minority targeting to bring President Akufo-Addo and his entire Cabinet down."

He rebuked the Minority saying, "our consistent conduct of duplicity in politics in Ghana will collapse this country. It will kill and destroy this nation and crumble on all of us. If it's the President you want to impeach, go ahead and do so".

Kabila warned against the conduct of the Minority, explaining that any accusations that have to do with conflict of interest, embezzlement, corruption and the likes against a Minister is to be referred to CHRAJ or the court, hence they using the ad-hoc Committee to deal with such issues is somehow a constitutional breach.

"It is to cause an embarrassment to the government and the President and his Ministers," he further scolded about the Minority's censure motion.