How a vote of censure against a finance minister on Nov 10, 1999, is replaying in 2022

There is an expected showdown in parliament on Thursday, November 10, 2022, as a vote of censure motion tabled by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament is considered.

The vote of censure is against the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, on the grounds of mismanagement of the economy, alleged withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund, and illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts, among other reasons.

But it has emerged that there is a mysterious coincidence between the day, November 10, 2022, and November 10, 1999.

According to the Minority Chief Whip in Parliament and Member of Parliament for Asawase, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, the vote of censure to be undertaken on Thursday, 2022, will be a repetition of what happened on the same day in 1999.

He stated that in 1999, the vote of censure was against the Minister of Finance at the time, Kwame Peprah, although it was unsuccessful.

“I’m very hopeful that yes, in 1999, on the same date, November 10 1999, there was a vote of censure on Kwame Peprah even though it didn’t succeed because the then majority, which was our side, had a huge number, so they first amended the motion, and it didn’t succeed,”

He, however, expressed confidence in their planned motion on Thursday, November 10, 2022.

“I am confident although we were never able to elect a Speaker from the opposite, we were able to do it through secret ballot; I’m very confident we’ll make another history by using the secret ballot to remove a sitting minister,” he added.

The motion for a vote of censure by the NDC MPs was filed on October 25, 2022, to be debated upon and voted on 14 days after its receipt by the Speaker of Parliament.

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