Ofori-Atta vote of censure ‘unpatriotic’ move to sabotage government - NPP

The governing New Patriotic Party, NPP, has described as ill-motivated and self-serving, a move by the Minority Caucus in Parliament to censure Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

A November 10, 2022 motion is expected to be moved as part of the Minority’s move to remove the embattled Minister due to economic mismanagement and general hardship among the populace.

In a statement dated November 9, 2022; NPP General Secretary directed that all NPP MPs should abstain from the said vote. It is not known whether abstention means not participating in the process or voting against it when it comes to that.

“It is worth noting that when similar calls were made for the head of Mr. Seth Terpker, the then Minister for Finance during the socio-economic turbulence under the erstwhile Mahama administration in 2015, the NDC-led Majority Caucus objected to those calls and rose to the defence of Mr. Terkper, a clear indication that the NDC lacks credibility on this matter.

“Accordingly, neither the NPP nor its Members of Parliament will lend support to this mischievous move by the NDC legislators as it is one of their many ill-motivated and self-serving but unpatriotic moves to sabotage the NPP government and frustrate the administration of the country,” the statement added.

The party, however, affirmed that it was aware of the present economic challenges and was confident that measures being put in place to ameliorate the situation will soon yield results.

Calls for Ofori-Atta’s dismissal and vote of censure move

On October 25, 2022, some 80 NPP MPs demanded the minister resigns over the bad state of the economy but a meeting with the president meant that they stand down their request on two conditions.

The conditions included that Ofori-Atta be allowed to conclude the current phase of financial support negotiations with the International Monetary Fund and also to present the 2023 budget and see to the passage of the appropriation bill before their removal request will be acted upon.

It was on the same day that the Minority Caucus filed a censure. Their leader, Haruna Iddrisu assured the House days ago that the Minority Caucus he leads in Parliament will fully pursue a censure vote initiated against Ofori-Atta.

Speaking on the floor of the House on Tuesday, November 1, 2022; Haruna reiterated having issued a nine-line whip for members of his caucus when the day of voting comes, affirming that he will move the motion before November 10.

“I told the Majority Leader that I can understand his situation, he is confronted with the witches dance. If he dances forward, the mother dies; he goes backwards, the father dies.

“He himself knows that the Hon. Minister for Finance is not performing and cannot perform and cannot deliver us out of the economic woes.”

Haruna Iddrisu after confirming that the motion will be filed also called on MPs in the Majority to join them to remove Ofori-Atta.

“I will move the motion for the censure of the Hon. Minister for Finance, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta. Those likeminded persons who will dance with us, Mr. Speaker, they will be welcomed in the secret ballots,” Haruna stressed.

Read the NPP's letter to MPs below:



SARA/PEN