Ofori-Atta is more powerful than the president – Murtala Mohammed reacts to shakeup

Tamale Central Member of Parliament, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed has described the finance minister as the most powerful person in the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government.

The lawmaker was reacting to the ministerial shakeup conducted by the president in which he nominated substantive ministers to replace three appointees who resigned recently.

The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta had been the subject of protestation by New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs under the ‘Ken Must Go’ banner and MPs on the Minority side, who demanded his dismissal over the mismanagement of the economy.

Ofori-Atta was, however, untouched in the shakeup even as government struggles to push through a debt restructuring programme dubbed the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP).

“They won’t make you (a minister) because of your opposition against Ken Ofori-Atta,” Murtala told Andy Appaih-Kubi (MP for Asante Akyem North), leader of the 'Ken Must Go' group of NPP MPs during a radio discussion on February 8.

“That man is more powerful than the president. He is the most powerful person in this government… Ken Ofori-Atta is the most powerful person in this government,” Murtala stressed.

The ministerial shakeup

President Akufo-Addo, on February 7,2023; nominated Kobina Tahiru Hammond (MP for Adansi Asokwa) as the minister-designate for Trade and Industry and Bryan Acheampong (MP for Abetifi) as the minister-designate for Food and Agriculture.

Other nominations the president made are Stephen Asamoah Boateng, for the Ministry of Chieftaincy; Mohammed Amin Adam as Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Osei Bonsu Amoah as Minister of State for Local Government.

Stephen Amoah, the Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, was also appointed a Deputy Minister-designate for Trade and Industry.

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