‘Akufo-Addo agrees Ofori-Atta must go’ - Kwesi Pratt

Veteran broadcaster, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has said that the agreement reached by New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament (MPs) and the leaders of the party implies that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo agrees that Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta must leave office.

In a Good Morning Ghana panel discussion monitored by GhanaWeb, Pratt said that if the president has agreed that Ofori-Atta must vacate his position, then he also believes in the reasons the MPs have given, which include the grounds of incompetence the MPs have stated.

He, therefore, stated that he does not understand why the president will allow a finance minister, who he has accepted is incompetent, to prepare a budget that he will not be around to implement.

“In essence, that president has agreed that Ofori-Atta must go. This is what this statement (the agreement reached) indicates … the MPs are saying that Ofori-Atta should go because of his incompetence, amongst other things. That is clear.

“Now, if the president agrees that he should go, why is the president agreeing that he should go? Is he agreeing that he should go on the basis of the charges that were made by the majority or on some other grounds?

“But whatever it is when there is a clamour for his removal on basis of incompetence, how do you then insist that he should use the same incompetence, which he hasn’t been cured himself from, to prepare the budget, present the budget, go through appropriations and conclude negotiations with the IMF,” he said.

The leadership of the NPP signed an agreement with the Members of Parliament of the party, which binds them to be present for the reading of the 2023 budget by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

A meeting between the lawmakers and leaders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was held on November 23, at which some agreements were reached.

The main points are that Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, will be supported in presenting the budget and seeing through its appropriation, as well as allowed to see through the current phase of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The meeting comes on the back of a renewed call by some 98 NPP MPs, who threatened to boycott the budget presentation if Ofori-Atta presents it.

Watch the interview below:



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