Why blame Ofori-Atta when Akufo-Addo appointed him? – Former Subin MP slams critics

A former Member of Parliament for Subin Constituency, Eugene Boakye Antwi, has come to the defense of former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta, criticising those who solely blamed him for Ghana's economic turmoil under the previous government.

Speaking on the issue, Boakye Antwi asserted that Ofori-Atta did not assume the ministerial position on his own accord but was appointed to the role by a higher authority, then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

He argued that since the former president used the powers vested in him by the citizens’ vote to appoint the minister, Akufo-Addo should bear sole responsibility for the challenges the country faced under the former New Patriotic Party (NPP)-led administration.

“You blame Ken, but who bears the ultimate responsibility? Who did Ghanaians vote for? Everybody holds a position in government, whether it's Akufo-Addo or John Mahama, it’s at the behest of the president. So, Akufo-Addo appoints, and he is the only person to disappoint you,” he asserted.

The former lawmaker suggested that if the economic issues and widespread calls for Ofori-Atta’s dismissal had occurred during the first term of the previous government, the former president would likely have acted on them.

He further implied that the delay in taking action may have been influenced by the party’s strategic focus on securing a second term in office.

“All certain presence in the second term tends to be on autopilot. I'm sure if Ken Ofori-Atta’s matter had happened the first time, the president would have acted because he was looking at the second term. And that would have probably informed his decision,” Boakye Antwi stated.

“Nobody can say that we didn't lose this election because of the economy. The Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) didn't just impact the economy, but it wounded trust. We must never again put pain without dialogue,” he added, linking the economic policies to the NPP's electoral misfortunes.

Boakye Antwi specifically criticised the DDEP, which he noted was introduced despite earlier assurances of "no haircuts" for bondholders.

“The Ghanaian people were told that they were not going to be no haircuts. That was a clear statement of intent from the president. And then the next minute, DDEP had been introduced so they lost money, savings, investment and pensions. And we saw a former CJ picketing at the Ministry of Finance and that alone, the optics, it polices our perception. The optics weren’t good and that cascaded down and affected our liberal fortunes,” he said.

MAG/VPO

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