'Ofori-Atta Must Go' MPs signify dysfunction of NPP's whip system – Muntaka

Mohammed Mubarak-Muntaka, Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Asawase, has averred that recent events show that the whip line system of the Majority Group in Parliament has broken down.

He cited as evidence, events from when a faction within the caucus publicly called for the dismissal of Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta through to their threats to boycott government business and more recently, concrete promises to vote with the Minority to remove the embattled Minister.

Muntaka was responding to a question about how all MPs of the Majority side had agreed to walk out of the chamber when it was time to vote on a censure motion the Minority had sponsored.

“If their whip system was working, there was no way you would have gotten a group holding a press conference. Their whip line system broke down, so I can tell you that their whip system is not effective, it has broken down.

“It is the worst time to be in leadership on their side… trust is lost, confidence is gone in both leadership and membership. Not just one, two, five but I just even say the initial 80 out of a group of 138, the system has broken down, the center is not holding,” he stressed.

Ofori-Atta suffers opposition from within

Calls from within the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for Ofori-Atta's dismissal over the economic downturn has been increasing over the last few months especially after Ghana went to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to seek a bailout.

Amid threats by the 'Ken Must Go' MPs to boycott government business led by the embattled minister, the presidency convened a meeting where concessions were made.

Among others that Ofori-Atta should present the 2023 budget and see through the Appropriation Bill and to also conclude ongoing round of talks with the IMF with government eyeing a staff-level agreement for a programme by end of the year.

After the 'rebel' MPs reignited their call for the minister's dismissal, the NPP national leaders also held a meeting with the Caucus where it was agreed that they will stick to the agreement reached with the president.

Leader of the group, Andy Appiah-Kubi has stressed that they are waiting on the president to keep his side of the bargain by removing the minister latest by December 31. Others hold that the president did not expressly state that he would remove Ofori-Atta but that he would act on the concern by the rebel MPs.

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