The New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, Dr Konadu Apraku, has said that he would end the appointment of Ken Ofori-Atta as finance minister if he were the president of Ghana.
He said he would heed calls from some upset NPP MPs who are pushy for the dismissal of Ofori-Atta due to the economic unrest.
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President Nana Akufo-Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo refused to dismiss Ofori-Atta, despite tension from NPP delegates in October 2022 to remove his Minister of Finance in charge of Economic Management.
During a meeting with the delegates, the president negotiated with them to let him adjourn to meet their demands.
In her last ministerial reshuffle, Nana Addo left Ofori-Atta, which was already under enormous pressure from a section of Ghanaians and parliamentarians.
Delegates demanded that Ofori-Atta be fired for economic mismanagement.
Speaking on GTV on Monday, February 13, 2023, Dr Konadu said he would show Ofori-Atta the way out if he took charge of the business.
“If I were the President [Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo], I would have listened to the MPs and sacked Ofori-Atta.
According to Dr. Apraku, “In politics, you have to be sensitive to public opinion. Sometimes, it may not be the truth, but that is the sentiments, and the sentiments of the people need to be examined, and acted upon if it is possible. It’s a great deal for the NPP MPs to come out there to say they don’t want our Finance Minister, their own Finance Minister that they have worked with in the past.”
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He further addedthat: “In a democracy, we have to be sensitive to the people. Lack of action exacerbates the problem, so you cut it off and cut your losses and I would have cut my losses and said please you have done enough, the environment is hostile to you so go. I would have changed him.”
In the meantime, the government assures those who refuse to swap their bonds for new bonds under the domestic debt swap program that their past-due bond interest payments and principal due will be be solved.
