The Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo, has described President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s removal of Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister as mere ‘window dressing.’
Mr Adongo explained that ‘window dressing’ refers to making something appear deceptively attractive or favorable.
President Akufo-Addo removed Ken Ofori-Atta in a major ministerial reshuffle on Wednesday, February 14, which affected a total of 13 current ministers of state, including 10 cabinet ministers and two regional ministers. Mohammed Amin Adam has been appointed as the new Finance Minister, while Ken Ofori-Atta has been made the Presidential Advisor on the economy.
In an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Mr Adongo expressed doubt about the effectiveness of the reshuffle, suggesting that Mohammed Amin Adam might have limited influence as long as Ken Ofori-Atta remains involved and influential in economic matters.
“This is clearly window dressing. If you follow events and watch critically what has happened, I do not doubt the competence and the abilities of Dr. Mohammed Amin. He was my former colleague on the Finance Committee, my senior at school. I have a very good respect for him, except to say that they have given him the job in one hand and taken it with the right.”
“Because now he is the Minister and they have appointed the very person they are removing as the Senior Presidential Advisor on the Economy what that simply means is that for Mohammed Amin to get any policy through in cabinet or through executive approval of the president, the president has to go and consult Ken Ofori Atta. And so technically it means that Mohammed Amin cannot do anything if Ofori-Atta is not in agreement because he would advise the president against it,” he stated.