The Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has stirred speculation by asserting that the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, will step down from his role in the coming days.
Dr Forson claims that this inside information on the minister’s imminent resignation is circulating within the corridors of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
In a post-budget reading interview on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, he stated, “The Minister of Finance is going to resign after presenting this budget, well so be it… their own people, the NPP, NPP MPs, and everywhere are saying so. They are saying it to all of us, I am sure you have heard it that the finance minister… Go and find out because I am hearing he is going to go.”
The Minority Leader, without delving into specifics, suggested that if Ken Ofori-Atta does indeed resign, he will be remembered for his perceived failures and incompetence in managing Ghana’s economy over the last seven years.
‘If he’s going, let me be blunt with you, he will still be remembered as the one who crashed the Ghanaian economy. Yes he did not do it alone. He crashed it with assistance of our vice president Alhaji Bawumia. He has destroyed us and we all know what he has done. His records are there for the ordinary Ghanaian to see
Let me tell you, he will be remembered as the one who borrowed to benefit his businesses and his cronies. This Minister of Finance will certainly be remembered as the one who destroyed Ghanaian business and the economy. He is the same minister who has brought our financial sector to its knees,” remarked Dr Ato Forson.
This potential development follows a history of discontent within the NPP ranks, with over eighty lawmakers in 2022 calling for Ken Ofori-Atta’s removal from office.
However, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo rejected the demand, urging a postponement of any decision until the conclusion of Ghana’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout.
Notably, despite past criticism, President Akufo-Addo has consistently expressed confidence in the finance minister, rebuffing concerns about Ken Ofori-Atta’s competence on multiple occasions. As Ghana awaits the unfolding of this speculated resignation, the political landscape remains abuzz with anticipation.