The Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has refuted recent media reports suggesting that he has sought a plea bargain in the ongoing ambulance case.
Denouncing these reports as malicious attempts by his detractors to tarnish his reputation, the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam MP urged the public to disregard the baseless claims.
In a press release issued on Thursday, October 5, Dr. Ato Forson emphasized the lack of factual basis for the publication and reiterated that he has not applied for a plea bargain or out-of-court settlement with either the Honorable Court or the Attorney General Department.
“The publication is without any factual basis and an attempt to court public disaffection to the person of Hon Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.”
“The Hon Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has not applied to the Honorable Court or the Attorney General Department for a plea bargain or out-of-court settlement.”
He emphasized his commitment to defending himself, having commenced his defense in the ongoing case, and maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, having pleaded not guilty to the charges.
“The record would show that the Honorable Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has opened his defence in the trial and has since called some of his witnesses.”
“The Honourable Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has throughout maintained his innocence having pleaded not guilty to the charges.”
In a separate legal move, the lawyers representing the Minority Leader, led by Dr. Abdul Baasit Bamba, filed an application urging the judge to recuse herself from the case.
Dr. Bamba argued that it was legally incorrect for the judge to preside over the motion for recusal, given the serious allegations of bias against her.
He highlighted the principle of law that mandates a different judge to handle such a motion in cases of grave allegations of bias.
Dr. Bamba expressed concern over certain comments made by the judge that had unsettled the politician and led him to believe that he might not receive a fair trial.
He underscored the gravity of the bias allegations and the need for a fair hearing, emphasizing that the current situation denied their right to a fair trial.
The legal proceedings in the case have seen several twists, including disputes over the judge’s impartiality, underlining the complexity and sensitivity of the matter.
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader, has refuted recent media reports suggesting that he has submitted a plea bargain request in connection with the ongoing ambulance case.
The Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam has dismissed these reports as the work of his adversaries seeking to generate public disapproval against him.
In a press release issued on Thursday, October 5, Dr. Ato Forson urged the public to disregard these reports, asserting that they lack any factual basis.
“The publication is without any factual basis and an attempt to court public disaffection to the person of Hon Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.”
“The Hon Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has not applied to the Honorable Court or the Attorney General Department for a plea bargain or out-of-court settlement.”
He added in the release that he is ready to defend himself as he has opened his defense in the ongoing case.
“The record would show that the Honorable Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has opened his defence in the trial and has since called some of his witnesses.”
“The Honourable Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has throughout maintained his innocence having pleaded not guilty to the charges.”
Dr Ato Forson and two others; former director of the Ministry of Health, Sylvester Anemana and businessman Richard Jakpa, are on trial for allegedly causing financial loss in the purchase of some ambulances during his time as Deputy Finance Minister.
The Attorney General contends the state has lost €2.37 million due to the purchase of the ambulances which turned out to be defective.
All three persons have pleaded not guilty.
Lawyers representing the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, led by Dr. Abdul Baasit Bamba, submitted an application on July 27, 2023, requesting the presiding judge to recuse herself from the case.
Dr. Bamba argued that it was legally improper for the judge to preside over the motion for her own recusal. This request came after Justice Botwe had disclosed the outcome of a petition sent to the Chief Justice by another defendant involved in the case, Richard Jakpa. Jakpa had accused the judge of bias following a prior clash during a court proceeding.
During the court session, Justice Botwe announced that a letter from the Chief Justice indicated that she could proceed with the case. Dr. Bamba then addressed the court, informing them of their motion for recusal.
He clarified that certain comments made by the judge had raised concerns for the politician, leading him to believe that he might not receive a fair trial. Dr. Bamba pointed out that there is a legal principle that in cases where allegations of bias are as serious as the current one, the judge implicated should not be responsible for adjudicating the motion for recusal.
“When Your Ladyship suggests that the witness who’s yet to be called and who has not expressed any unwillingness, will be arrested, that is unfair. The issues we are alluding to are so grave to the extent that for My Lady to say that if the person would not come he will be locked up, by Your Ladyship saying that these witnesses to be summoned could be locked up, it is problematic.”
“The order you made that unsettled my client is that his case would be deemed closed if he is not able to get any of his witnesses called. This means we are being denied our right to a fair hearing,” he stated.
But Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, later retracted the request for disqualification of Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, a Justice from the Court of Appeal with additional duties as a High Court judge.
Host of Metro TV’s ‘Good Evening Ghana’ programme, Paul Adom Otchere has rendered an apology to Head of Security at the Bank of Ghana, Wing Commander Kwame Asare Boateng whom he feels was disrespected by the leadership of #OccupyBoG protest who stormed the streets of Accra on Tuesday October 3, 2023.
He explains that under no circumstance should Ato Forson disrespect such a man because he holds a higher profile better than him.
If you look at this man’s profile and Ato Forson’s profile, given that Ato Forson has been elected by some people, I respect that. But if you look at the two profiles Ato forson should not be able to tell him that “you have disrespected me because they say you should come for the petition.” I am really apologizing to this man for the way in which the minority held him in such contempt,” he said.
As the group, which has been calling for the resignation of Dr. Ernest Addison, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, had initially planned, they intended to submit a petition to the leader of the institution.
In a more extreme scenario, the Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, anticipated that either of the Governor’s two deputies would step forward to accept the petition.
However, this anticipated course of action did not materialize.
Instead, the document was received on behalf of the Governor by Wing Commander Kwame Asare Boateng, the Head of Security at the Bank of Ghana.
Nevertheless, the group declined to hand over the petition to this representative of Dr. Ernest Addison, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, and prior to this, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader in Parliament, delivered a statement.
We never said we are going to present our petition to the head of security or to someone in charge of security, with all due respect.
“They have actually mismanaged the affairs of the central bank; they have mismanaged the affairs of monetary policy. Today, Ghana, our beloved country is on its knees. you are not the one responsible, and we will not give you our petition,” he stated.
Host of Metro TV’s ‘Good Evening Ghana’ programme, Paul Adom Otchere, has slammed the Minority leader in Parliament, Dr Ato Forson and the entire leadership of #OccupyBoG protest, for refusing to hand over their petition to the Head of Security at the Bank of Ghana, Wing Commander Kwame Asare Boateng.
On Tuesday, the Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr Ernest Addison failed to show up to receive the petition from the NDC MPs who participated in the #OccupyBoGprotest.
The leadership of the OccupyBoG protest was met by Wing Commander Kwame Asare Boateng and a host of the Bank’s leaders, who told the protesters that Dr Addison was in a meeting with a team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and was therefore unavailable to receive the petition.
But the leadership of the protest refused to hand over the petition to him as they considered him as out of place to receive such a petition.
“I feel very disrespected as the Leader of the opposition in Parliament. For a simple reason that we demanded to present a petition to the Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Ghana otherwise known as the Bank of Ghana. The Governor has two deputies, namely Deputy 1 and Deputy 2.
“Unfortunately, he has decided to disrespect us and his two deputies have also decided to disrespect us by not being here to accept the petition. We never said we are going to present our petition to the head of security or someone responsible for security with all due respect.
But Paul Adom Otchere has described the act of refusal by the NDC as insolent and condescending towards BoG’s head of security.
“Does he denote some low player or something like that? That is what I want to correct. And I don’t understand why minority leader like Casiel Ato Forson, one who is looking to rule the country, looks at someone and says, oh you are head of security at bank of Ghana and I don’t want to deal with you. That was total disrespect. Not just to this man. But also if you look at this man’s profile and Ato Forson’s profile, given that Ato Forson has been elected by some people, I respect that. But if you look at the two profiles Ato forson should not be able to tell him that you have disrespected me because they say you should come for the petition. I’m very disappointed in Casiel Ato Forson and the NDC leadership. Why do you disrespect such an important person because he is called security?”, Paul Paul Adom Otchere expressed.
Meanwhile, Dr Casiel Ato Forson says protesters demanding the resignation of Bank of Ghana (BoG) Governor, Dr Ernest Yedu Addison will not stop until they meet and present their petition to him.
Dr Ato Forson said their petition contains more than just the resignation of BoG leadership.
So the Governor sending security officers to receive the petition is disrespectful.
He added that they will not present the petition but they will look for another time to exactly so.
Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has leveled accusations against the Bank of Ghana, alleging the closure of over 400 microfinance institutions purportedly affiliated with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He further claimed that some of the managers of these 426 microfinance companies, which were shut down for political motives, have resorted to working as taxi drivers.
Ato Forson asserted that if the NDC regains power, they will hold the Akufo-Addo government accountable for these actions.
During his address at the OccupyBoG demonstration in Accra on October 3, 2023, the former finance minister emphasized that the protest aimed to bring about improvements in the country.
It is worth noting that in 2017, the Bank of Ghana conducted a cleanup operation that resulted in the revocation of operating licenses for eight banks, 23 savings and loans companies, and over 400 specialized deposit-taking institutions (SDIs).
These included UT Bank, Capital Bank, Sovereign Bank, Beige Bank, Premium Bank, The Royal Bank, Heritage Bank, Construction Bank, and UniBank. The Receiver for some of these institutions found that many directors had failed in their fiduciary duties to customers and other stakeholders.
These measures taken by the BoG were aimed at safeguarding the investments of 4.6 million depositors.
President Akufo-Addo’s lawyer, Kow Essuman, has made mockery of the hundreds of Ghanaians who thronged the streets of Accra to demand the resignation of the Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr Ernest Addison via the #OccupyBoG demonstration.
He made fun of the fact that the protestors, led by Minority leader Dr Cassiel Ato and some bigwigs of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) failed to achieve their purpose, which was to present their petition to Dr Addison.
On Tuesday, October 3, Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr. Ernest Addison was notably absent when the NDC MPs attempted to present their petition during the #OccupyBoG protest.
Instead, the OccupyBoG protest’s leadership encountered Wing Commander Kwame Asare Boateng (retired) and several Bank officials.
They were informed that Dr. Addison was engaged in a meeting with a delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and was unavailable to receive the petition.
Reacting to this development, Lawyer Essuman noted that despite the protestors’ inability to meet the BoG Governor, they managed to burn some calories.
“So wait oh. Do you mean to tell me that the NDC, led by Ato Baah aka @Cassielforson, walked all the way from Obra Spot to @thebankofghana to present a petition to the Governor but then left without presenting the petition because the Governor was unavailable due to meetings. At least they burned some calories,” he wrote in a Twitter post on October 3, 2023.
The protestors marched all the way from the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange to the Bank of Ghana in central Accra.
The Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has described Dr. Addison’s absence as disrespectful. He refused to present the petition to anyone other than Dr Ernest Addsion.
He assured that another protest would be held on a date yet to be established to present the petition to the BoG Governor.
The #OccupyBoG demonstration did not come to a successful end as expected by the many protestors including Minority Leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, who hit the streets today to demand the removal of Bank of Ghana Governor, Dr Ernest Addison, accused of mismanaging the institution.
This is because Dr Ernest Addison, whom the protestors sought to present their petition to, was nowhere to be found on Tuesday evening.
When a delegation comprising some prominent NDC MPs and party leaders such as Asiedu Nketiah, Sammy Gyamfi, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, arrived at the Central Bank premises to present their petition, they were sadly informed of Dr Addison’s absence.
Wing Commander Kwame Asare Boateng (rtd), Director of Security, who arrived to meet the protestors, informed the delegation that Dr Addison is engaging the International Monetary Fund (IMF) hence his audience.
This revelation angered the Minority Leader, who then vented his spleen over what he described as gross disrespect to Parliament and Ghanaians.
“I feel very disrespected as the Leader of the opposition in Parliament. For a simple reason that we demanded to present a petition to the Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Ghana otherwise known as the Bank of Ghana. The Governor has two deputies, namely Deputy 1 and Deputy 2.
“Unfortunately, he has decided to disrespect us and his two deputies have also decided to disrespect us by not being here to accept the petition. We never said we are going to present our petition to the head of security or someone responsible for security with all due respect. They have actually mismanaged the affairs of the Central Bank,” he said.
Dr Ato Forson refused to present the petition to Wing Commander Kwame Asare Boateng (rtd), who had been tasked with receiving the protestors.
“They have mismanaged the affairs of monetary policy. You are not the one responsible and we will not give you our petition. We will not allow you, going forward, to disrespect us and mismanage the Affairs of the people of Ghana. Your act, Bank of Ghana, has indeed pushed 850,000 down the poverty line. We will hold you accountable, particularly the Governor. We are demanding his exit. Now that he had decided to disrespect us, we will not present our petition. We will go and come back again. And we will come back and demand to see him in person.”
He therefore announced that the Minority together with aggrieved Ghanaians will continue to hit the streets until Dr Addsion receives the petition in person.
“The crowd you’ve seen is just the beginning. We will come back again. He should better come in here,” he stated.
He questioned the priority of Dr Addison, who chose a meeting with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over addressing the concerns of the very individuals whose taxes provide him income.
“If he thinks that IMF is more important than the Parliament of Ghana. If he thinks that the IMF is more important than the people of Ghana, he is here, because of the people of Ghana and not IMF. So let him deal with IMF but we will come after him. We will come after him. Until we see him, we are not stopping. This is just the beginning,” he said.
Due to today’s protest, the road leading from Independence Square in front of the National Lotteries to the old Parliament House has been temporarily closed to vehicles due to the demonstration.
To accommodate this closure, traffic had been rerouted from the blocked road to the Starlets traffic light, passing through the Ministry traffic light, in front of the Office of Department of Urban Roads, and then through the National Lotteries to connect with the AMA road to EOCO.
From there, a detour allowed vehicles to rejoin the John Evans Atta Mills Highway at the old Parliament traffic intersection.
The designated routes for the demonstration included gathering at the Obra Spot at Kwame Nkrumah Circle and proceeding through Adabraka, Ridge Roundabout, National Theatre Traffic Light, High Court Complex Traffic Light, Attah Mills Highway, making a U-turn at the National Lottery Authority, and concluding the march at Independence Square.
Minority leader in Parliament, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has expressed frustration over the absence of Dr Ernest Addison, the Governor of the Central Bank during the #OccupyGhana demonstration.
A few minutes into the march, the Minority leader informed the press that the Minority would only present its petition to the governor.
He noted that should Dr Addison fail to meet the protestors, they would remain at the Central Bank.
But when a delegation comprising some prominent NDC MPs and party leaders such as Asiedu Nketiah, Sammy Gyamfi, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, arrived at the Central Bank premises to present their petition, they were sadly informed of Dr Addison’s absence.
Wing Commander Kwame Asare Boateng (rtd), Director of Security, who arrived to meet the protestors, informed the delegation that Dr Addison is engaging the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
His comments did not bode well with the Minority Leader, who asked whether the IMF was more important than Ghanaians and the Parliament.
Mr Ato Forson refused to present the petition to Wing Commander Kwame Asare Boateng (rtd) and noted that the protestors would return to present the petition to the Bank of Governor.
“I feel very disrespected as the Leader of the opposition in Parliament. For a simple reason that we demanded to present a petition to the Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Ghana otherwise known as the Bank of Ghana. The Governor has two deputies, namely Deputy 1 and Deputy 2.
“Unfortunately, he has decided to disrespect us and his two deputies have also decided to disrespect us by not being here to accept the petition. We never said we are going to present our petition to the head of security or someone responsible for security with all due respect. They have actually mismanaged the affairs of the Central Bank.
“They have mismanaged the affairs of monetary policy. You are not the one responsible and we will not give you our petition. We will not allow you, going forward, to disrespect us and mismanage the Affairs of the people of Ghana. Your act, Bank of Ghana, has indeed pushed 850,000 down the poverty line. We will hold you accountable, particularly the Governor. We are demanding his exit. Now that he had decided to disrespect us, we will not present our petition. We will go and come back again. And we will come back and demand to see him in person.
“The crowd you’ve seen is just the beginning. We will come back again. He should better come in here. If he thinks that IMF is more important than the Parliament of Ghana. If he thinks that the IMF is more important than the people of Ghana, he is here, because of the people of Ghana and not IMF. So let him deal with IMF but we will come after him. We will come after him. Until we see him, we are not stopping. This is just the beginning,” he said.
The Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has announced his sides willingness to comply with directives issued by the Ghana Police for the #OccupyBoG demonstration.
He indicated his side’s commitment when he engaged the press today, Tuesday, October 3.
“The Ghana Police Service must show us where the security point ends, so-called security zones. We will comply with that. We will get to the end of the security zone,” Dr Ato Forson said.
Prior to today’s protest, the Minority had informed the police of their intention to commence the protest from the frontage of Parliament, proposing a specific route that would pass through various landmarks in Accra.
The police expressed concerns about the selected routes, citing potential public order and safety risks, as well as traffic disruption.
In response, the police proposed an alternative route, but the Minority insisted on adhering to their original plan, emphasizing that their proposed route was shorter than the police’s suggested alternative.
As a result, the police sought an injunction against the Minority’s proposed routes.
But there has been an agreement following further consultation.
The demonstrators will converge at Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and proceed to Adabraka to Ridge Roundabout, National Theatre Traffic Light, High Court Traffic Light to Atta Mills Highway and make a u-turn at the National Lottery and terminate at the Independence Square.
Minority leader in Parliament, Dr Ato Forson, has highlighted the economic successes chalked up by the erstwhile Mahama-led government prior to the NPP government in 2017.
This has become imperative following claims by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, that the Akufo-Addo-led administration inherited an indebted economy from former President John Dramani Mahama.
According to Mr Ato Forson, these are mere allegations without basis.
He argued that the Mahama-led government ensured the economy was in a stable position before leaving office.
“The people of Ghana would recall that because the Mahama administration left behind a robust economy, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government within the first three months of its assumption of office was able to borrow US$2.25 billion from Franklin Templeton.
“Today, that same Franklin Templeton will not lend Ghana even one Dollar because the country is not credit worthy.
“The Minister of Finance should carry his mess and his shame. He should not bring the NDC into matters that border on his greed, state capture for his family and friends as well as his monumental failure in public office. We did better than they are doing and the NDC will always do better when the good people of Ghana give John Mahama and our party the opportunity to govern from January, 2025,” he wrote.
Below is a list of the achievements chalked under the Mahama government.
A public debt that was sustainable at 56% of GDP ( which has increased public debt to 103% of GDP with very little to show by the NPP government)
Sinking Fund, Stabilisation Fund, Ghana Infrastructure Investment Bank (GIIF), Ghana EXIM Bank
Robust tax revenue
Oil revenue from three oil fields
Government Integrated Financial Management Systems (GIFMIS)
Credit rating of B+ (currently rated D, a super junky economy under Akufo-Addo government)
Minority leader in Parliament, Dr Ato Forson has reminded the Bank of Governor, Dr Ernest Addison and Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta that their day of accountability is nigh.
He made this known in a rebuttal statement in connection with Mr Ofori-Atta’s “Stand with Bank of Ghana Governor” agenda. In a write up, the Finance Minister argued that Dr Ernest Addison is a competent professional who should not lose his job for protecting the economy.
“Governor Addison, just like me, has faced major economic hurdles since 2017, inheriting a derailed International Monetary Fund programme and a highly impaired and ethically strained financial industry from our predecessors, having to navigate the serious revenue shocks on the back of COVID-19 and distortions to our supply chain induced by both Covid-19 and international geopolitics,” he wrote.
The Finance Minister also defended the construction of a new headquarters for the Central Bank, arguing that it is “befitting”.
In response, Dr Ato Forson noted that the need to justify the “gross incompetence and misgovernance of the leadership of the Bank of Ghana,” by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta “ended up worsening the case of the central bank and deepening its credibility crisis.”
He noted that it is legitimate for citizens to seek clarifications regarding value for money considerations in executing such a project and whether current circumstances justify a project of that nature as the central bank has made losses in three of the past six years; and is projected to declare a loss again in 2023 and possibly in 2024.
“The Minister should rather welcome the call for an independent audit into the project and to ensure value for money at the end of the day,” he added.
Dr Ato Forson concluded by reminding Governor Addison and Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta that “the day of reckoning is very near and they will be held accountable for their collective mess.”
On August 9, 2023, the Minority issued a 21-day ultimatum for the resignation of the governor of the Bank of Ghana and his deputies. The ultimatum has elapsed, however, the Minority has threatened to protest to demand their removal.
SHOULD CITIZENS STAND WITH THE BANK OF GHANA GOVERNOR WHO HAS AIDED THE GOVERNMENT’S ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT TEAM TO DESTROY LIVELIHOODS? THE POSITION OF THE MINORITY IN PARLIAMENT
In a recent statement intended to justify the gross incompetence and misgovernance of the leadership of the Bank of Ghana, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta sought to “speak for” the Bank of Ghana but ended up worsening the case of the central bank and deepening its credibility crisis.
Ordinarily, the beguiled statement by the Minister should be disregarded entirely and treated with the contempt it deserves. However, there is the need to correct some of the key misconceptions peddled and to fact-check the assertions made by the Minister in the statement.
From the second paragraph, the Minister erroneously used nominal figures to argue that the Bank of Ghana had grown its assets phenomenally between 2016 and 2022. If the Minister describes a 2.4-fold increase from GHS53 billion in 2016 to GHS125.97 billion in 2022 as phenomenal, how would he describe the increase in Bank of Ghana’s assets by 8.2-fold during the period of the NDC government (2009-2016) when the same assets grew from GHS6.45 billion as at end-2008 to GHS53 billion as at end-2016?
What is even worse is that the increase in assets between 2016 and 2022 were largely driven by the illegal monetary financing of government; in other words, illegal lending to government. This excessive printing and lending of money to government is the cause of the economic woes the country is currently facing (high inflation, volatility in the exchange rate, and high interest rates) as confirmed by the IMF and the World Bank.
In the third paragraph, the Minister again used nominal GDP figures to argue that thesize of GDP had more than doubled in value from GHS219.6 billion in 2016 to GHS610.2 billion in 2022, without adjusting for the impact of inflation within the same period. The Minister must realize that nominal values will always rise, hence the right thing to do is to express these in real terms.
On the watch of this Minister, real GDP growth slowed between 2018 and 2020 and only recovered slightly in 2021 due mainly to revenues from the three oil fields they inherited as well as the massive covid-19 revenue inflows, and not due to any special expertise of the Minister. Again, the Minister’s management of the economy worsened in 2022 and it is projected to further deteriorate at the end of 2023 with growth projection of 1.5%.
In the same paragraph, the Minister also touted doubling revenues since 2016, with total revenues increasing from GHS32 billion in 2016 to GHS96.7 billion by 2022. Again, for the comparison to be meaningful, these nominal figures must be expressed in real terms. At best, these figures should be expressed as a ratio of GDP, or in other words movement of the revenue-to-GDP ratio. Indeed, data from the Ministry of Finance shows that revenue- to-GDP on the watch of this Minister has not performed well as he claims. Even in 2015, and with all the challenges faced by the economy then, revenue to GDP was 13.2%. Given all the resources that this government has received, including two additional oil wells, government’s revenue to GDP is just about 12.1%. The fiscal deficit on his watch actually increased in spite of the covid-19 revenue windfalls, hence his claim of increasing revenues over the period is inconsistent with what happened to government expenditures.
In paragraph 6, the Minister spoke about resetting the financial architecture since 2017. The question is what the cost of doing so has been, and whether the exercise could not have been handled more prudently and at a much lesser cost and with minimal disruptions in the financial architecture.
In paragraph 7, the Minister took another wrong dive stating, “However, as many central banks, including Bank of Ghana, moved away from pursuing quantitative targets of monetary policy towards price targets, dominance of the central bank’s balance sheet asthe key metric has waned in many economies and in academic literature as well”. This is entirely incorrect, both in practice and in theory. The central bank’s balance sheet remains critical in the implementation of monetary policy, hence liquidity management is at the core of this function.
If the Minister had appreciated the workings of monetary policy, he would have known that despite the move from monetary targeting to inflation targeting, liquidity management or the ability to control the central bank’s balance sheet remains an integral part of monetary policy implementation.
The Minister must also know that the use of price targets does not mean that monetary aggregates no longer matter. They still do matter in monetary policy implementation and therefore excessive central bank financing still matters for monetary policy.
In paragraph 8, the Minister simply re-echoed the Bank of Ghana’s earlier argument that it was normal for a central bank to operate with negative equity, and that its losses recorded in 2022 would not affect its operational efficiency. These industrialised countries cited in the paragraph did not underwrite any insolvency of their governments which caused such losses. The pandemic and the Russia/Ukraine war rather provided windfall revenues to the government of Ghana, and hence cannot be a reason in the case of Ghana. If the losses and the consequent slide into negative equity (projected to be repeated in 2023) would not matter, why then is the IMF programme asking for a repair of the balance sheet of Bank of Ghana in the medium term?
In paragraph 12, the Minister made another flawed statement that, “Accordingly, as the focus shifts from direct targets of money supply to interest rates as operational targets, the framework for analysing central bank balance sheets has shifted, enabling central banks to play more interventionist roles in the economy than before”. This is completely and utterly wrong. No framework for analysing central bank balance sheet has shifted; it remains same. The Minister is probably confusing the recent asset purchase practices in some central banks in the industrialised world, with fiscal dominance. These are not the same at all.
The interventionist role played by those central banks was to lend to corporates in the private sector in those countries directly through asset purchases, which was later redeemed and hence the central bank’s balance sheet was restored to good health. This is totally different from what the Minister has done to Bank of Ghana’s balance sheet through illegal money printing and lending to government. Indeed, this practice is at the root of Ghana’s macroeconomic problems currently.
In paragraph 14, the Minister sought to rub salt into the injury of ordinary Ghanaians and pensioners who out of patriotism invested into the future of our country in longer dated bonds. The book of Proverbs 22:22 states, “Don’t steal from the poor, because they are poor. Don’t oppress the needy in the gate.” And yet this Minister continues to tout a so- called success of government’s debt operations that commenced in 2022. With sleaze, this Minister continues to quote the bible and does not realise that he and his Databank owe a moral and spiritual duty to the people of Ghana to refund the commissions they earned on those very bonds that he has restructured.
This is a minister who claims to be faithful to the bible and says that he is doing a voluntary job as Minister. Yet he would never respond to the call by Ghanaians to allow a more competent person to take over the economic and financial affairs of the country, in the face of his poor performance. On the new Bank of Ghana building, the Minister must appreciate the opinion of Ghanaians as represented by their parliamentarians, on the subject matter.
The central bank has made losses in three of the past six years; and is projected to declare a loss again in 2023 and possibly in 2024. It is therefore legitimate for citizens to seek clarifications regarding value for money considerations in executing such a project and whether current circumstances justify a project of that nature. The Minister should rather welcome the call for an independent audit into the project and to ensure value for money at the end of the day.
Towards the end of his statement, the Minister surprisingly veered off from the defense of Governor Addison and decided to call for governance reforms that he claims could strengthen the Bank of Ghana. He strangely suggests a plan to dislodge the time- honoured arrangement which makes the Governor of the Bank of Ghana the Chair of the Board, as is the case in over 99% of central banks. The Minister must realise that this is precisely why Parliament’s oversight function is key as provided in Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Act 2016 (Act 930). The Governor is mandated to report to Parliament frequently and to yield to the latter’s oversight function. Unfortunately, Governor Addison has not yielded as required, and the Minister perhaps does not require him to do so, because he himself is also often deficient in the requirement.
The Minister must not seek to dismantle this carefully thought-through corporate governance architecture at the central bank. There is a reason why this is so in almost all countries in the world. Clearly, the current legal and corporate governance regime at the Bank of Ghana is not the problem; Ken Ofori-Atta is the problem.
History will remember this Minister of Finance and the government’s Economic Mismanagement Team headed by Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia for taking Ghana to the IMF in an ambulance.
The economy that the NDC’s John Mahama government bequeathed to the Akufo-Addo/ Bawumia regime was far better than what Ghana has today. This is because the NPP inherited a public debt that was sustainable at 56% of GDP; the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has increased public debt to 103% of GDP with very little to show. In nominal terms, they inherited public debt of GHS 120 billion, which they have increased to approximately GHS600 billion with very little to show.
Again, the NDC left behind a robust economy with very strong buffers. The Mahama government left behind the Sinking Fund, Stabilisation Fund, Ghana Infrastructure Investment Bank (GIIF), Ghana EXIM Bank as well as a robust tax revenue and oil revenue from three oil fields which the NPP used to kickstart their administration. Yet they have very little to show and have collapsed the economy on their watch.
Furthermore, the NDC put in place a strong tax policy and a prudent and controlled expenditure regime, including the Government Integrated Financial Management Systems (GIFMIS). Yet the NPP came in and processed expenditure outside the GIFMIS architecture.
It is also noteworthy that the NDC government did not short-change Ghanaians with a haircut economy. The NDC government had a credit rating of B+; the Akufo-Addo/ Bawumia government’s management of the economy, with Ken Ofori-Atta as the Minister of Finance, is rated D, a super junky economy. Surprisingly, this government that boasted of not signing up to an IMF programme shamelessly did a U-turn and ended up with the worst form of an IMF programme; a programme that they announced and signed up at a time that they had collapsed the economy and Ghana’s economy was at the intensive care unit.
The Minister of Finance should not say anywhere again that the NDC administration left behind a derailed IMF programme. Clearly, at the time we were leaving office there was no monetary finance. For the first time in the history of Ghana, the government did not take money from the central bank even though the law allowed the then administration to take 5% of the previous year’s revenue from the central bank. But as a government that cared about the impact of inflation and how it could destroy the livelihoods of ordinary Ghanaians, we stayed away from borrowing from the central bank.
The people of Ghana would recall that because the Mahama administration left behind a robust economy, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government within the first three months of its assumption of office was able to borrow US$2.25 billion from Franklin Templeton.
Today, that same Franklin Templeton will not lend Ghana even one Dollar because the country is not credit worthy.
The Minister of Finance should carry his mess and his shame. He should not bring the NDC into matters that border on his greed, state capture for his family and friends as well as his monumental failure in public office. We did better than they are doing and the NDC will always do better when the good people of Ghana give John Mahama and our party the opportunity to govern from January, 2025. Finally, the Minority in Parliament wishes to remind Governor Addison and Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta that the day of reckoning is very near and they will be held accountable for their collective mess.
In response to a recent article by finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta appealing for the Bank of Ghana (BoG) governor to be supported rather than condemned, minority leader Cassiel Ato Forson fired back.
Ato Forson queries whether Ernest Addison’s conduct in relation to breaking BoG legislation assisted the government in throwing the nation into an economic catastrophe.
“Should the people of Ghana support a central bank governor who has aided the government to destroy their livelihoods?” his post on Twitter dated September 17 read in part.
It continued: “I plan to deliver a strong response to the Finance Minister’s article on Monday morning!”
The central bank has faced severe criticism, particularly from opposition figures who have called for the resignation of the governor and his two deputies following the significant losses reported in the 2022 annual report of the Bank of Ghana.
The Minority in Parliament, along with various advocacy groups, have organized a protest campaign called #OccupyBoG to emphasize their demand.
Amidst these financial setbacks, concerns have also arisen regarding the ongoing construction of a new headquarters for the bank, which is alleged to be costing taxpayers US$250 million. This has added to the mounting pressure on the bank.
In response to these challenges, Ofori-Atta recently authored an article in defense of the bank, addressing all the allegations. One of the noteworthy quotes from the article pertains to the construction of the new head office building.
“With respect to the BoG’s new headquarters, the evidence is clear that the decision to build had already been made long before those ‘losses’ occurred,” Ofori-Atta stated.
Minority Leader, Dr Ato Forson, has noted that the Central Bank is currently not operating as mandated per the Bank of Ghana Act, 2002 (Act 612).
One of the functions of the Central Bank is to institute measures that are likely to have a favourable effect on the balance of payments, the state of public finances, and the general development of the national economy, and according to the Minority, this has been compromised.
According to the Minority Leader, the alleged inefficiency of the Bank of Ghana lies on the shoulders of the BoG Governor, Dr Ernest Addison.
“In its present form, the Bank of Ghana exists merely in name under the leadership of Governor Addison and his deputies; we are talking about a central bank which has been so mismanaged that it has recorded an unprecedented loss,” Dr Ato Forson said.
Highlighting issues of mismanagement, the Minority Leader noted that in 2022, the Bank of Ghana recorded a colossal loss of over GHS60.8 billion and negative equity of over GHS55.1 billion.
In defence, the Central Bank has noted that it is not a profit-making establishment while stressing that it had to step in to prevent the destruction of the economy.
“The Bank of Ghana, as we all know, is not a typical profit-making institution, and the extent of its capitalization doesn’t necessarily determine its policy solvency—meaning its ability to deliver on its mandate of price stability, and in addition, promote financial stability,” a statement from the institution read.
This response has been shot down by the Minority Leader, who questioned whether the Central Bank is a loss-making establishment.
“As if that mismanagement was not bad enough, its officials have the sheer audacity and temerity to look Ghanaians in the face and tell us that the Bank was not set up to make profit. If I may ask, ladies and gentlemen, was the Bank of Ghana set up to make losses?” he asked.
The Minority Leader is firm in his assertion that the Bank of Ghana is in major financial distress and bankrupt, which requires urgent attention.
Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has urged President Akufo-Addo to deliver a national address outlining the government’s strategies to revive the Bank of Ghana (BoG), which he characterized as facing an unprecedented collapse.
In a Facebook post, Forson emphasized the need for decisive actions to restore solvency to the central bank.
“Given the unprecedented collapse of our central bank, it is imperative for the President of Ghana to urgently address the nation. During this address, the President should outline the decisive actions that the government plans to implement in order to restore solvency to the Bank of Ghana,” Mr Forson said in a Facebook post on Monday.
Forson highlighted that when a regulated institution’s financials or liquidity position is compromised, the BoG typically enforces directives, including withholding dividend payments even in profitable situations.
“Granting of new loans will be put on hold; Appointment of new directors will be restricted; Capital expenditure will be temporarily suspended and staff recruitment will be paused, and other similar measures will be taken,” he added.
Other measures, such as suspending new loans, restricting director appointments, pausing capital expenditure, and halting staff recruitment, are also implemented.
Additionally, Forson dismissed claims by Richard Ahiagbah, Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), that Forson was a member of the BoG Board during the initiation of processes for the bank’s new head office construction.
Forson refuted these assertions in a press release, characterizing them as a “desperate attempt” by the NPP to defend their actions.
Forson clarified that during the Mahama/NDC administration, the Bank of Ghana never entered into a contract for the new head office’s construction nor purchased land in Accra for the building.
He criticized the decision to construct the new head office given the bank’s substantial loss and negative equity, deeming it a reckless and misguided priority.
Forson concluded by asserting that no attempt at equalization can absolve the current government and Governor Addison’s management from the historical collapse and mismanagement of the Bank of Ghana.
He maintained that the countdown to the resignation of the Governor and his deputies is ongoing.
“For the record, I was not part of the processes for the construction of this new Head Office building, and the Bank of Ghana Board never began such processes for the construction of this new Head Office building at Ridge. We maintain that the decision by the current Bank of Ghana Management and Board to construct an ultra-modern Head Office building at a time when the Bank of Ghana has recorded a loss of GhS60.8 billion and a negative equity of GHS55.1 billion; at a time when the ordinary Ghanaian is struggling to make ends meet, is a reckless and misplaced priority.”
“No attempt at equalisation can redeem the historical collapse and mismanagement of the Bank of Ghana by this Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government, alongside Governor Addison and his management. The countdown to the resignation of the Governor and his deputies is still on,” Dr. Forson added.
Deputy Member of Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin and Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson found a common ground over a friendly meal following recent spirited parliamentary debates.
This memorable occasion was to mark the birthday of Dr Ato Forson.
This instance of friendly interaction followed a vigorous exchange between Afenyo-Markin, the deputy majority leader, and Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the minority leader, during the deliberations on the 2023 Mid-Year Budget Review. The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, had presented the review on July 31, 2023.
While participating in the parliamentary debate, the Deputy Majority leader revived the familiar chant ‘eeiii Ato’ as he presented his argument countering the assertions put forth by the minority leader.
Brotherly gestures;
Afenyo-Markin and Ato Forson dine together at Ato’s birthday celebration Ei Ato 😁😁pic.twitter.com/1o25XBM4WF
However, rather than extending their disagreements outside the parliamentary chamber, the two politicians were observed seated at a table, enjoying a pleasant time together.
The deputy Majority leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin teased that he had more physically appeal than his colleague, Ato Forson.
“I am saying to the birthday boy [reference to Ato Forson], I am more handsome than him. He should debate it,” he said to the amusement of everyone.
Dr Ato Forson on the other hand advised that, despite the political differences, they are one.
“We are brothers, regardless of the political differences.”
The deputy minority leader wished his colleague a happy birthday and they shared laugher together.
Eyewitnesses joined in to share the moment with both individuals putting their political differences aside and having a good time.
The phrase ‘Eii Ato’, which became popular after the vetting of Bryan Acheampong as the Minister-designate for Agriculture in February this year, has resurfaced in Parliament on Thursday, August 3, 2023.
The Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, used the expression several times to mock the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, during the debate on the 2023 Mid-Year Budget presented by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
Afenyo-Markin accused Ato Forson of incompetence and failure when he was the Deputy Finance Minister under the previous NDC administration. He cited examples such as the inability to draw down on the $3 billion CDB loan for gas infrastructure, and the suspension of disbursement under the IMF deal in 2014.
He also challenged Ato Forson‘s credibility to question the performance of the current Finance Minister, whom he described as a visionary and competent leader.
He further claimed that Ato Forson did not do anything to improve the lives of the people in the Central Region, where he hails from, or to alleviate poverty levels in the country.
He said the NDC had not introduced any new person or idea to the economy, and had failed the people of Ghana during their eight years in office.
He contrasted this with the achievements of the NPP government, such as the implementation of Free SHS, the construction of landing beach projects for fisherfolk, and the provision of relief packages amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Below is a transcript of Afenyo-Markin’s statement in Parliament:
This is the same Ato Forson. Ato. Is it the same you? Is it Ato Forson? Eii Ato! Eii Ato! Eii Ato Forson! Were you not the person who could not draw down on the CDB loan?
Were you not the one who could not implement successfully the IMF facility that disbursement seized? Are you not the same person? Yes! I tell you on authority that during your time you could not successfully implement the IMF deal. Sit down!
Mr. Speaker, This is the same Ato Forson, who today want to create a certain impression about the finance minister. Now you see say it dey sweet you. Sit down! Mr. Speaker, this is the same Ato Forson.
The NDC party has not introduced any new person. Mr. Speaker, they have not. They have not introduced a new idea. The NDC party, led by its Ato Forson in this parliament, are not new to this economy. Mr. Speaker, they had an opportunity to rule.
They were in office for 8 years. They failed the people of Ghana. This government came and implemented a free SHS. This government came and used another route to ensure that our fisher folks have had a relief.
Today, we have ten landing beach projects gone going. Honourable Ato Forson, the then Deputy Finance Minister from Central Region, could not do anything, any physical infrastructure to turn around the coastal economy. Ato Forson could not lead such a charge for the people of central Region.
Ato Forson and his team of NDC MPs could not at the time do anything to alleviate the poverty levels, but today they are enjoying the liberties of opposition to criticize this government it is strange it is rich, it is rich to hear Ato Forson, it is rich to hear and his NDC MPs attacking Ken Ofori-Atta on grounds of competence What, what, what, what a call! Ato Forson, what a call!
The Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has made serious allegations against the Bank of Ghana, accusing it of being responsible for the depletion of Ghana’s external reserves.
During the presentation of the Minority’s response to the 2023 mid-year budget review in Parliament, Dr. Forson asserted that the Bank of Ghana’s practice of printing money led to the unprecedented depreciation of the Cedi in 2022, resulting in hyperinflation.
According to Dr. Forson, the Cedi depreciated from GHC6:$1 to over GHC15:$1 in 2022, representing a straight-line calculation of over 100% depreciation.
He claimed that this depreciation, along with inflation, has adversely affected the financial status of citizens, with the rich slipping into the middle class and poverty worsening for the poor.
He cited a World Bank report stating that around 850,000 people were pushed further below the poverty line due to inflation alone in 2022.
The Minority Leader accused the government and the Bank of Ghana of initially denying the act of printing money to finance bloated government expenditures in 2022 but later admitting to the practice.
“Paragraph 8 of the IMF Staff Report gives further detail that the Bank of Ghana illegally printed over GHC45 billion representing 7.2% of GDP in 2022 alone, and GHC35 billion in 2021. This is the first in the history of Ghana”, he said.
He cited the IMF Staff Report, which detailed that the Bank of Ghana illegally printed over GHC45 billion in 2022, representing 7.2% of GDP, and GHC35 billion in 2021 – the first such occurrence in Ghana’s history.
Describing the Central Bank as a “crime scene,” Dr. Ato Forson blamed the government and its economic managers, led by Mr. Strategist, for aiding and abetting this economic crime. He pointed out that under the current economic managers, Ghana’s public debt surged from GHC120 billion in 2016 to GHC600 billion by the end of 2022, indicating an increase of about 400%. This high level of debt resulted in Ghana defaulting on repayment obligations to both local and foreign debtors for the first time in its history.
Dr. Forson also raised concerns about the collapse of Ghana’s financial sector, with all 23 banks recording massive impairment losses of over GHC18 billion in 2022.
He stressed that this financial mismanagement by the government has had unprecedented consequences, and he believes the Bank of Ghana requires urgent attention due to its major financial distress and bankruptcy.
The accusations by the Minority Leader highlight the economic challenges facing Ghana and the need for transparent and prudent financial management to address the issues at hand.
MinorityLeader Cassiel Ato Forson has cautioned his friend and Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, against what he terms ‘personal attacks’ towards him.
Late last week, the minister and Ato Forson got into a fight over the Buffer Stock Company’s failure to pay its suppliers, who had been picketing outside the company’s offices.
A half-dozen Minority MPs confront the minister in a video that the media has access to, and he responds by telling them that they don’t need to bring the press to meet with him and that their picket is “inorganic.”
The minister’s exchange with Ato Forson is produced below
Bryan Acheampong: Don’t bring press to the reception
Bryan Acheampong: You are a leader, you are a Minority Leader….
Ato Forson: You like attacking me anytime you speak, that should stop. That should stop, let me address him…you like attacking people stop that. Stop attacking me, anytime you speak, you try to attack me. Stop that thing, stop that attitude of yours.
In the last public exchange between Ato Forson and Bryan Acheampong, the Minority Leader fired questions at the minister at the appointment’s committee sitting leading the minister to exclaim “Ei Ato! But you are my friend,” adding that he should be vouching for him not interrogating him.
Former Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alex Mould, in court today testified that he has not come across any documentation indicating that Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson was authorized by the Finance Minister to write two letters in the trial around their alleged involvement in the purchase of defective ambulances for the state.
These letters, addressed to the Bank of Ghana and the Controller and Accountant General, respectively, requested the establishment of letters of credit for the procurement of ambulances, per reports by MyJoyOnline.com.
One of the letters sought to establish letters of credit in favor of Big Sea Trading Company, the designated supplier of ambulances to the state. The other letter authorized the release of over ¢800,000 cedis to the Minister for Health to cover bank charges related to the procurement of 50 Mercedes Benz ambulances and related services.
But the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, argued that Dr. Forson’s actions violated the agreement governing the ambulance purchase.
Dame stated that the agreement prohibited advance payment, and the purchase price of €15,800,000.00 was supposed to be paid through an irrevocable and transferable letter of credit from the Government of Ghana’s bankers. The payment for each batch of 50 ambulances was to be made upon delivery, following the submission of specific documents.
The Attorney General further contended that Dr. Forson directed the letters of credit to be charged to the Ministry of Health’s budget, which went against the parliamentary approval for ambulance funding.
During his testimony, Alex Mould informed the court that deputy ministers often write letters on behalf of their respective ministers. However, he stated that he had not seen any authorization document indicating that Dr. Ato Forson had the authority to write the aforementioned letters.
“I therefore find it odd that A1 (Ato Forson) who in his capacity as deputy minister, assisted the minister and who wielded neither constitutional nor statutory powers could be held responsible where none of the persons in copy including the minister have denied what he signed.
“Based on the above, and in the light of experience. It is my candid view that it is fallacious for the republic to allege that A1 authorised letters of credit out of which payment amounting to €2 million were made to Big Sea without due course and authorisation,” he stated.
The AG Godfred Yeboah Dame however probed the matter further.
AG: “You realise that after the first accused signed exhibit A, he proceeded to sign exhibit B2 dated 12th August addressed to the controller and accountant general.”
Mr Mould: “Yes he did.”
AG: “Now you see that, the first accused referred to his own earlier letter, is that not correct?”
Mr. Mould: “Yes, he referred to the Ministry of Finance letter”
AG: “Do you see any attachments?”
Answer: “No”
Ag: “Did you come by any information or document showing authorisation by the minister?”
Mr Mould: “No my lady, not in this instance.”
Mr Mould insisted the letters cannot form a basis for a charge of causing financial loss to the state.
“Any claim that exhibit A has resulted in causing financial loss to the republic is not only wrong but demonstrates a misunderstanding of an LC. I say in an LC transaction, it is an LC applicant and paying bank who authorise payment.”
The AG however insisted that under the agreement, the LC was to the means by which payment was made. Mr. Mould agreed.
AG: You agree that the letters of credit are the means by which payment was made for the transaction in issue”
Mr. Mould” Yes my lady. It is the means by which payment will be made on behalf of the applicant to the beneficiary”
The AG will continue with the cross examination of Mr Mould on July 6, myjoyonlie.com adds.
Former Health Minister, Alex Segbefia; former Controller and Accountant General, Seidu Kotomah and a former Budget Director at the Health Ministry, Patrick Nimo have been ordered by an Accra High Court to appear and testify in the trial of Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.
Dr Forson’s lawyers urged the court to issue the order after they failed to call a witness at the court’s hearing on June 22, 2013.
“Former controller and accountant general. Seidu Kotomah was to testify. Unfortunately, we have not been able to secure the attendance of the witness in court today to testify.
“Upon realising, we made diligent efforts to get other witnesses to appear in court to testify, specifically, I approached Alexander Kwasi Mould who has already filed a witness statement whether he will be able to attend court today to testify.
“But he indicated his inability to do so and gave reasons including not being in the country. I also got A1 (Dr Forson) to talk to other witnesses. And not a positive response has been received,” Lead Counsel Dr Abdul Basit Bamba stated.
Court of Appeal judge Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe who is hearing the case as an additional High Court Judge then pointed out she had seen a motion for an order to be issued.
Dr Bamba explained it had become a necessary measure to ensure that the court’s planned schedule for the case is not delayed.
He pointed out that he was making the application under Section 58 of Ghana’s Court’s Act, 1993(ACT 459). This provides as follows;
“Section 58-Summoning Witnesses.
In any proceedings, and at any stage of the proceedings, a court either on its own motion or on the application of any party, may summon any person to attend to give evidence, or to produce any document in his possession or excerpts from it subject to any enactment or rule of law.”
This request was for the appearance of Alex Segbefia, Patrick Nimo and Seidu Kotomah.
Justice Botwe granted the request, pointing out that should the named individuals fail to show up, she will issue a warrant for their arrest.
“I have actually issued a warrant of arrest for a certain COP who failed to show up on the day he was to show up. I am more than happy to issue a witness summons. If they don’t show up, then I issue a warrant of arrest”. She stated.
The names of two other persons, Former Finance Minister Seth Terkper and Former advisor at the Ministry of Health Dr Sam Mensah came up but the request for such an order was withdrawn.
Mr Terkper Joynews understands has committed to testifying via a video link while Dr Mensah is out of the jurisdiction.
The minority leader has so far been unable to directly call a witness to the stand.
The first witness who testified from his defence list was equally ordered to show up to testify. This was an Official of Stanbic Bank Henry Myles Mills.
Dr Forson and two others are standing trial for causing financial loss to the state in the procurement of ambulances for the country.
Majority Leader and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has cautioned his opposite number, Minority Leader Cassiel Ato Forson, to tread cautiously.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu had cause to chastize Ato Forson on the floor of the House on June 6, 2023 when MPs returned to work when the Minority Leader made a submisssion on election violence in the wake of upcoming Assin North by-election.
“As a country, we are yet to overcome the blot in our democratic governance arising from the unprecedented violence meted out to innocent civilians by the party packs in uniform at Awayso West Wuogon.
“That is why we wish and say that the chairperson of the EC must demonstrate her neutrality as an unbiased umpire, and the IGP must prove that he is indeed responsible for the domestic security of the country,” Ato Forson said in his welcome address.
The comments did not sit well with the Majority Leader who pointed out that the reference to Ayawaso West Wuogon was at best needless because more violence was unleashed in Chereponi by-election which inured to the benefit of the then ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He said Ato Forson’s reference was also needless because the most recent by-election in Kumawu was peaceful.
“One hopes that the Assin North by-election will follow that (Kumawu) trajectory. But for my colleague to say that we should not let what Awayawso West Wuogon happen again in the next by-election to me I think is not a statement that ought to have been made.
“If you are talking about the most violent by-election that we have had in this country, it was at Chereponi when seven people were shot at point blank by an operative from the castle,” he noted.
On the point about electoral violence during by-elections, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu fired a caution: “don’t go there. You are a newly baptised minority leader, you have not been confirmed yet as minority leader.”
The Supreme Court of Ghana recently issued a ruling that declared James Gyakye Quayson’s election as a Member of Parliament in 2020 as unconstitutional, null, and void.
According to the Supreme Court, Gyakye Quayson held Canadian citizenship at the time of filing his nomination as the NDC’s parliamentary candidate in 2020.
The court’s ruling led the Clerk of Parliament to declare the Assin North seat vacant.
Subsequently, the Electoral Commission has scheduled a by-election in Assin North for June 27, 2023, following the declaration by the Clerk.
Meanwhile, the NDC has stated its intention to re-present Gyakye Quayson as its candidate for the upcoming election, despite a criminal process brought against him in relation to his 2020 election contest.
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has made a request for the disclosure of the details regarding the judgement on James Gyakye Quayson, the former Assin North MP.
They have stipulated that these details must be made available by June 7th before they can proceed with voting on the president’s Chief Justice nominee, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Following the Supreme Court Justice’s vetting by the Appointments Committee of Parliament, the Caucus refrained from casting a vote on the nominee.
Their decision was prompted by the absence of access to the complete judgement, which they believe is necessary to make an informed determination.
The Supreme Court in its recent ruling on the dual citizenship case before it directed Parliament to expunge the name of embattled Assin North MP, James Gyakye Quayson.
While the possibility of a second vetting session looms, the Committee’s chairman, Joseph Osei-Owusu, has announced that there will be no such session. However, the Minority Caucus remains resolute in their demand to review the entire judgement before reaching a conclusion.
The Minority Chief Whip in a press release indicated that the Minority expects the cooperation of the Majority in its request to bring closure to the vetting.
Below is the full release
The Minority Members on the Appointments Committee of Parliament did not vote on the President’s nominee for the position of Chief Justice today due to the unavailability of the reasoned judgement of the Supreme Court in the matter of Hon. James Gyakye Quayson
It is important to state that the Appointments Committee not long ago in 2019 vetted and approved this same nominee as a justice of the Supreme Court. However, it was imperative for Members of The Minority on the Committee to evaluate the decisions of the nominee on all other cases, including the James Gyakye Quayson case since the vetting in 2019.
We successfully evaluated the nominee on all relevant criteria except the outstanding matter of James Gyakye Quayson which would enable us to come to a decision. We expect the reasoned Judgement of the court on this matter by 7 June, 2023 to finalise our decision
We have duly communicated our challenge to our colleagues on the Majority side and expect their cooperation.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Government of Ghana cannot reach an agreement in the second quarter of 2023, according to Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
The Government was hopeful of securing the deal at the end of May following an engagement with bilateral and multilateral partners at the recent IMF and World Bank Spring meetings in America.
But Dr Forson said the earliest the government can secure the $3 billion deal with the Bretton Woods Institution will be in the third quarter.
“I can confirm to you that it is not going to happen by the end of May, it is not going to happen, I will urge our Minister responsible for Finance to be truthful to the people of Ghana and be candid enough to say that yes, the timelines that we have, we said A, B and C but we cannot make it. The earliest is beginning 3rd Quarter, July August, that is the earliest,” Dr Ato Forson said in an interview with TV3.
His comment comes after Deputy Finance Minister, John Kumah, assured Ghanaiana at a press briefing that discussions towards securing the fund have been fruitful and the government was waiting for a bailout to balance the economy.
Government has already renegotiated its domestic debt and is hopeful of securing the Paris Club financing assurances within the shortest possible time.
The country’s economy could grind at a halt if the deal is not secured soon but analysts believe the government is to blame for seeking a bailout from the IMF late.
Currently, Ghana has secured a staff-level agreement with the IMF since December last year and now asking lenders to provide financing assurances which is a condition for the IMF’s board to sign off the programme.
The Chinese government which Ghana owes has given an ndication that it is willing to help Ghana secure the balance of payments bailout from the Fund.
The Chinese government has said it has an obligation to ensure the Ghanaian economy does not collapse.
Attorneys for the former deputy minister for finance have claimed that the prosecution of Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the minority leader, constitutes an abuse of prosecutorial authority.
The attorneys claimed that the State was operating like a Leviathan, disregarding the rights and liberties of its inhabitants, in a submission of no case before the court.
The lengthy legal brief outlined the reasons why the trial must come to an end, with the attorneys presenting the court with a variety of justifications.
“We maintain that, in a reasoned decision, a court has a duty to clearly set out the legal principles and the evidence upon the decision is based.
“In addition, an adversarial system like ours, where the role of the court is primarily that of an umpire, places an additional duty on the Court to explain why it prefers one piece of evidence or argument to the other after carefully weighing the evidence relied on by the prosecution and the defence,” excerpts of their legal submission stated.
They also rejected the allegations by the state that Dr Ato Forson authorised or caused letters of credit to be established.
According to the lawyers, this claim is patently false.
The Minority Leader’s lawyers argued that the prosecution failed to adduce sufficient evidence to back this charge.
“We submit that, to the extent that the evidence on record do not support but contradict these material allegations in the particulars of offences for Counts 1 and 5, the prosecution has failed to adduce sufficient evidence on key ingredients of the offences in Counts 1 and 5. Consequently, A1 must be acquitted and discharged.“
Contrary to the assertions in the particulars of offence of Counts 1 and 5 that A1 ‘authorized’ or ‘caused’ irrevocable letters of credit to be established it is clear from the evidence on record that AI never ‘authorized’ or ‘caused irrevocable’ letters of credit to be established nor did A1 act in any manner without due cause and authorization.
“Exhibits A and B1, which bear the signature of AI were transmitted to the Bank of Ghana under the authority of and on behalf of the Minister of Finance as confirmed by Exhibit 5 for A1….That claim is patently false.”
Legal team for the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson in the ambulance case has informed the court that he did not authorize or issue any Letters of Credit.
They contend that this accusation is unfounded and ought to be dropped.
The attorneys contend that the prosecution has not presented enough evidence to support this charge in their legal representations to the court.
They have thus asked the court to acquit and discharge the accused.
“We submit that, to the extent that the evidence on record do not support but contradict these material allegations in the particulars of offences for Counts 1 and 5, the prosecution has failed to adduce sufficient evidence on key ingredients of the offences in Counts 1 and 5. Consequently, A1 must be acquitted and discharged.“
“Contrary to the assertions in the particulars of offence of Counts 1 and 5 that A1 ‘authorized’ or ‘caused’ irrevocable letters of credit to be established, it is clear from the evidence on record that A1 never ‘authorized’ or ‘caused irrevocable’ letters of credit to be established nor did A1 act in any manner without due cause and authorization.
“Exhibits A and B1, which bear the signature of A1 were transmitted to the Bank of Ghana under the authority of and on behalf of the Minister of Finance as confirmed by Exhibit 5 for A1….That claim is patently false,” the lawyers argued in their detailed submissions to the court.
They also stated that the prosecution of Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson is abuse of prosecutorial powers by the state.
According to them, the state was acting like a Leviathan, who has no regard for the rights and liberties of its citizens.
“We maintain that, in a reasoned decision, a court has a duty to clearly set out the legal principles and the evidence upon the decision is based.
“In addition, an adversarial system like ours, where the role of the court is primarily that of an umpire, places an additional duty on the Court to explain why it prefers one piece of evidence or argument to the other after carefully weighing the evidence relied on by the prosecution and the defence,” excerpts of their legal submission added.
Dr. Forson, who is also the National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for Ajumako Enyan Esiam, has been charged with Sylvester Anemana, a former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health and Richard Jakpa, a businessman, for allegedly causing financial loss of €2.37 million to the state in a deal to purchase some 200 ambulances for the country between 2014 and 2016.
The Republic has said that the State has been successful in building a case against all defendants, including former deputy minister of finance Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, in the criminal prosecution involving the supply of vehicles to the State in 2015 that were unfit to be used as ambulances.
The Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, argues in written submissions sent on March 16, 2023, that “a consideration of the evidence led at the trial so far by the prosecution should easily lead to the conclusion that the prosecution has satisfied all the elements of the offences” set forth in the charges brought against the accused.
The Republic argues further that “the evidence given orally by the prosecution’s witnesses was buttressed by a large volume of documents directly confirming the truth of assertions made by the witnesses”.
The prosecution points out that the actions of the first accused, Dr Ato Forson directly led to financial loss to the State in the purchase of the vehicles purporting to be ambulances. By a letter dated 7th August 2014, signed by Dr Ato Forson, the Bank of Ghana was urgently instructed to establish an irrevocable transferable Letter of Credit (LC) in the sum of EUR 3,950,000.00 in favour of Big Sea General Trading LLC. as payment for the ambulances to the Ministry of Health. This authorisation for the LCs to be established resulted in the payment of €2,370,000 for the supply of vehicles by Big Sea General Trading LLC, which did not meet the description of an ambulance (a fact clearly established from the evidence on record). According to the prosecution, Dr Forson’s actions, judged in light of the terms of the contract governing the transaction, showed that he violated the duty he owed as a public officer with responsibility over the use of the public purse by virtue of his status as a Deputy Minister of Finance in 2014. His actions were criminally negligent and most unwarranted.
Justifying why Dr Forson’s actions were criminally negligent or reckless, the prosecution stated that Dr Forson’s instruction for LCs to be established, were contrary to the terms of the “ambulance contract”, since none of the conditions set out in the contract before payment could be made, had been satisfied.
The Deputy Controller and Accountant-General, relying on Dr Forson’s letters, wrote to the Bank of Ghana for payment to be made. After this, the vehicles were shipped contrary to the terms of the agreement. Unfortunately, when delivered, the vehicles were not fit to be described as ambulances.
“It is indisputable, on the facts established at the trial, that, first accused’s actions and omissions led to the loss to the state”. The State argued.
The Attorney-General further submitted that the first accused’s omission to respect the terms of the agreement between the parties, showed mens rea to wilfully cause financial loss to the Republic. “It can clearly be deduced that he desired to cause financial loss, or he foresaw the loss as virtually certain but took an unjustifiable risk of it, or he could foresee the loss as probable consequence but elected to unreasonably risk same, or he failed to exercise due care and attention and thereby caused a loss”, Mr. Dame argued.
The Attorney-General further submitted that the first accused did his actions without any further “authorisation” from any quarters. A careful examination of the record does not disclose any so-called authorisation by the former Minister for Finance or, indeed, any superior officer. On the contrary, exhibits tendered by the prosecution show that Dr Forson acted on his own and not through any alleged authorisation by his former boss, Mr Seth Tekper. The actions taken by the Controller and Accountant-General as well as the Bank of Ghana, all relied on first accused’s actions, not any action by Mr. Seth Terkper, the prosecution stated.
Further, the prosecution points out that the Republic actually tendered in evidence an internal memorandum from the Ministry of Finance regarding the matters in issue that showed that the Ministry of Finance staff who worked on the transaction relied solely on the authorisation by Dr Forson, and not the Minister, Mr. Seth Terkper.
This exhibit, in the prosecution’s view, gave an insight into the understanding and thinking of the staff of the Ministry of Finance who worked on the authorisation for the LCs to be established. They clearly attributed their action and decision to the direction of first accused, and not the Minister. They were under no illusion that the authorisation for the LCs to be established was coming from first accused, not his boss.
Nowhere in the statement given by Mr. Seth Terkper to the police did he claim ownership of the letters written by Dr Ato Forson.
On the contrary, Mr. Terkper’s actions around the same time that the first accused’s letters were written, showed a completely different inclination, as the Honourable Minister rather was working on reviving the Stanbic facility which was the parliamentary-approved means of payment for the transaction.
It is very obvious therefore, that, the Minister and his deputy, first accused, were doing different things around the same time. Whilst one (the Minister) was working on ensuring a success of the parliamentary-approved facility, the other (first accused), was working to ensure payment contrary to the terms of the contract and from a source that had not been approved by parliament.
The Republic continued that as would reasonably be expected of a person exercising public power over the management of public funds, the first thing to be done when authorizing payment for any kind of item is to check whether the payment was due. This can easily be ascertained from a consideration of the contract regarding the transaction in issue. A cursory examination of the contract by first accused would have disclosed to him that, at the time he instructed Bank of Ghana and Controller and Accountant-General to effect payment, payment was not due at all under the relevant contract.
According to the Republic, this is because clause 6 of the contract explicitly prohibited advance payment. The goods were to be delivered before the LCs were to be opened in favour of the supplier to pay for them. Pre-shipment inspection of the vehicles was required to be done to ensure that the vehicles met the specification of ambulances stated in the contract. This was not done, but Ato Forson authorised for payment to be done.
Unfortunately for the first accused when the vehicles arrived, they were not fit for purpose. Letters written by Dr Alex Segbefia, former Minister for Health, indicated categorically that the vehicles were “ordinary vans”, and not ambulances). These letters written by Dr. Alex Segbefia were tendered in without objection by counsel for the defence.
It is the first accused’s recklessness in not ensuring that the terms of the agreement were adhered to that caused all the problems and resulted in the institution of the criminal case against him. If he had exercised the requisite ordinary caution and observation in not making advance payment and waited until the goods had been delivered at the Port of Tema, as he was required to do by clauses under the agreement, the defects on the vehicles would have been noticed and the necessary action taken without any payment by the Government of Ghana.
The prosecution further stated that assuming without admitting that the first accused was justified in considering the contract as effective, the action of the former Minister of Health, Madam Sherry Aryittey, when she was called upon to perform the contract, exposed the recklessness of the first accused.
In reaction to the advice of Dr Dominic Ayine, former Deputy Attorney-General, that the contract had become effective and therefore had to be performed, Madam Sherry Aryittey, exercising proper care and caution, indicated to the former Deputy Attorney-General that the Stanbic Facility required for the performance of the contract, had not been secured and therefore, her Ministry did not have budgetary provision for the contract.
However, in complete contrast and in a manner consistent with recklessness, first accused on 7th August 2014 instructed the Governor of the Bank of Ghana to urgently establish the LCs for the supply of the ambulances “while arrangements are being made to perfect and sign the loan Agreement”. Be that as it may, the first accused never followed through with any “arrangements to perfect and sign the loan Agreement” after directing that payment should be made from the MOH’s accounts.
This, in the prosecution’s view, was wholly unwarranted. To make matters worse, he failed to ensure that the terms of payment and delivery of the vehicles under the contract whose performance he directed were complied with.
Regarding the second accused (A2), the State submitted that he was the designer of the scheme to cause financial loss to the state in the matter of the supply of vehicles which did not meet the specification of ambulances. The second accused deliberately laid the platform for the whole illegal enterprise, which assisted the first accused in subsequently carrying out his unlawful actions resulting in financial loss to the state in the sum of €2,370,000.00
The platform designed by A2 to commit financial loss to the Republic consisted of A2’s specific role in making false representations to the PPA Board for the purpose of obtaining the unlawful procurement of Big Sea General LLC for the supply of the vehicles. On the basis of this unlawful procurement of Big Sea, the contract was signed, and this also became a basis for the first accused’s actions resulting in financial loss to the Republic.
The prosecution stated that “evidence led at the trial shows that the letter written by A2 requested approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to engage Big Sea through a process of single sourcing for the supply of 200 ambulances. It falsely represented to the PPA that Big Sea had arranged for financing for the project. When the PPA was not initially satisfied with the application by second accused, it sought clarification by a letter dated 15th November 2012. By another letter dated 19th November 2012 second accused (A2) continued on his bandwagon of deception of the PPA in a bid to secure the approval as the basis to cause financial loss to the Republic, by making yet another misrepresentation to the PPA.
This time, A2 affirmed the false statement by writing another letter to the PPA to the effect Big Sea had arranged for funding for the project from Stanbic Bank and for that matter “the draft agreement on the project with the Ministry bears the name Big Sea General Trading LLC. This draft contract was subsequently submitted to Parliament for approval.” This was a very material misrepresentation which A2 knew was false because A2 was the Chief Director at the Ministry of Health when the agreement was submitted to both Cabinet and Parliament”. Big Sea was never mentioned in any of the memos to Cabinet or Parliament and was never approved by Parliament. A2 knew that Big Sea’s contract with the Government of Ghana had to be approved by Parliament before same would be valid.
Regarding the third accused (A3), the Republic submitted that he “was the sole shareholder and also a director of the company, Jakpa at Business, the agent for Big Sea General Trading LLC of Dubai. He was responsible for the distribution and sale of the vehicles in Ghana and West Africa. He was, therefore, uniquely aware that the vehicles he imported into Ghana were ordinary vans and not what was contracted for, leading to a loss to the Republic.
For representing Big Sea, A3 received a commission of 28.7% of the contract price. He even issued a writ against Big Sea to ensure that he was paid his commission of 28.7% of €2,370,000. He connived with the principal to unilaterally change the vehicle specifications”. Big Sea admitted in a letter to the Ministry of Health that the version of the vehicles the parties had contracted for was unavailable.
However, without consulting the Ministry of Health, A3, and his principal changed the vehicle specified under the contract. This was done to the knowledge of the accused person. Therefore, A3 was aware that the vans which arrived in Ghana were not the ones contracted for.
The State concluded by asserting that a case raising a presumption of guilt had been made against all accused persons, and therefore the court ought to call upon them to open their defence.
The ruling on the submission of no case has been fixed by the trial judge for Thursday, 30th March 2023.
President Akufo-Addo is being mislead about the likelihood that the administration will receive an IMF Board clearance this month, according to the Minority leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson,
He said that the procedure that would result in the IMF Board considering Ghana’s request had not yet begun.
According to Dr. Ato Forson, these procedures won’t begin until China consents to provide Ghana with a debt financing assurance.
President Akufo-Addo
However, the Ajumako Enyan Essiam MP said China is currently not ready to accept the haircut being proposed by the Ghanaian government.
“Mr. Speaker, our President said on authority that Ghana would get an IMF Board approval by the end of this month, I don’t know who is briefing our President, but Ghana will not be able to get an IMF Board approval by the end of this month
“We need to get China to give Ghana financing assurance and that they are ready to take a haircut and China has not agreed,” he said in Parliament on Friday, March 17.
Ghana is currently before the Bretton Woods Institution for a $3 billion bailout.
As a result, the government has renegotiated its domestic debt and on course with the foreign partners as well.
Due to this, President Akufo-Addo during the 2023 state of the nation address was confident the government can secure the deal by the end the month.
According to the President, the government is systematically fulfilling the terms of the staff-level agreement reached with the IMF.
“I am confident with the cooperation we’re receiving from members of the Paris Club and the People’s Republic of China, which has sent a delegation from China’s Exim Bank to Accra over the weekend, to meet with officials of the Ministry of Finance, we shall be able to go to the board of the fund to conclude finally the agreement by the end of March,” he said.
But the Minority Leader said Ghana is not likely to clinch a deal with the IMF in March and would be lucky to get a deal in April.
Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, has disclosed that the entire Minority Caucus in Parliament is solidly behind the presidential candidature of John Dramani Mahama.
He told Oyerepa TV on February 22, that all 137 National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs were in attendance at a meeting held earlier this week to pledge their support for the former president.
Asked whether all NDC MPs were in support of Mahama’s bid to lead the NDC into the 2024 elections, he responded: “Absolutely, all Members of Parliament on the ticket of the NDC were all present…
“… and on behalf of all of us, our new leader Hon. Ato Forson made a resounding declaration of total support for his candidature and it was followed by a resounding applause followed by a standing ovation.”
According to him, “the brother of a possible contender was introduced at the meeting because he is also a Member of Parliament and he declared his support,” he added without naming the said MP.
Mahama declares bid, picks nomination forms
Mahama’s formal intention to run for a third consecutive shot at the presidency was reported when a number of NDC MPs confirmed after a meeting that he was going to contest.
On February 22, forms were picked on his behalf by Prof. Alabi and regional chairmen amid fanfare. Mahama is expected to address the media in due course to formally announce his bid.
Mahama’s political roots date as far back to the days of Ghana’s independence when his father served in the Nkrumah government.
John Mahama, a political thoroughbred
He is reputed to be one of the most thoroughbred politicians of the Fourth Republic having served from the local level (Assembly) through to becoming a Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress.
Mahama held deputy minister and ministerial portfolios under the Rawlings government before rising to become vice president under John Mills and president when he took over from Mills then won his first full term in 2012.
He is widely expected to contest for the presidency come 2024 as he seeks a final term in office on the back of two straight defeats to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2016 and 2020.
MP for Adansi Asokwa and Minister designate for Trades and Industry, Kobina Tahir Hammond, has cautioned Minority Leader Ato Forson to be circumspect about his utterances, especially during his engagement with the media, since he could be taken out of context and misreported.
K.T Hammond was responding to questions at his vetting for the role of Trades Minister when Ato Forson who was a member of the vetting committee asked about a statement a news portal had attributed to him (K.T Hammond).
According to Mr Forson, in the publication on mps.com, dated April 4, 2014, K.T Hammond had accused former President John Mahama of mismanaging the economy back then in 2014.
“Then, you were the Ranking Member of Mines and Energy and during a press conference captured by mps.com, you said: ‘blame Mahama’s incompetence for economic woes,” Ato Forson said.
But in response, Mr Hammond vehemently denied ever making that statement.
“I think Ato has made a quantum leap to where he’s gotten to now. He doesn’t even ascertain whether I wrote it or I didn’t write it. I don’t know what he’s talking about,” K.T Hammond emphasised.
He, thus, warned Mr Forson whom he (K.T Hammond) described as a potential Finance Minister to be wary of his utterances with the media since they could be used against him in the near future.
“I don’t see my language in the kind of things that he said. It is completely unfair for the Minority Leader to question me on a document I have no knowledge about. I know he [Ato Forson] mentioned some portal and they reported something. Be careful, Minority Leader. I’m praying for you sometime later you might want to be Finance Minister. Be careful when you get these portals or news media and you start quoting and you fall in trouble,” he said.
Mr Hammond was appointed by President Akufo-Addo on February 7, 2023, to be at the helm of affairs at the Trade and Industry Ministry. If approved by Parliament after his vetting, Mr Hammond will succeed Alan Kyerematen who resigned earlier this year to pursue his political carrier.
According to minority leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, seventeen banks could fail if the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) is carried out as planned.
He claimed that the proposal will rather blame people and financial entities, mainly banks, for the government’s bankruptcy.
As Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta spoke to the House about the DDEP, the former minister made this declaration on the floor of the legislature.
Given that the nation is insolvent due to its high levels of debt, Ofori-Atta stated that the initiative was essential to the recovery of the economy.
He said despite stiff opposition from some Ghanaians, including pensioners, the programme has been successful as over 1,300 pensioners and individual bondholders have willfully subscribed to it.
But debating the issue, Dr Ato Forson said the programme will impoverish Ghanaians and cripple some banks.
He stated that some “17 banks in the country are at risk as a result of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme.”
He said despite the government saying persons such as pensioners who didn’t subscribe to the DDEP will be exempted, the Minority Caucus will push for a bill which will prevent the government from touching the funds of pensioners in the programme.
“We won’t allow you to shift the burden to the ordinary Ghanaian,” he said to the Minister who was seated in Parliament.
The minority leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has expressed grave reservations regarding the government’s gold-for-oil agreement, which aims to lower the cost of petroleum goods in the nation.
The former deputy minister for finance said that the Bank of Ghana is covertly printing cedis to deliver to the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), which will use them to buy gold for the government, during an interview with Prince Minkah on the Dwaboase program on TV XYZ.
“Where is the BoG getting money to purchase to give to PMMC to purchase the gold?” Dr Forson asked while pointing to the illegality that is surrounding the policy.
“The Bank of Ghana has secretly printed GH¢50 billion this year without Parliamentary approval. He did that with Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, and we don’t know where the money has gone,” he said.
He explained that the secret printing of cedis began in 2020.
“From 2020 till now, the Bank of Ghana has printed GH¢90 billion cedis. GH¢40 billion printed between 2020 and 2022. This year alone, they have printed GH¢50 billion cedis,” Forson disclosed.
Dr Forson who is also the MP for Ejumako-Enyan-Essiam Constituency also indicated that the Minority would hold the Governor of the Central Bank accountable for the illegality.
The ‘Gold for Oil’ policy is to buy oil products with gold rather than U.S. dollar reserves.
It is meant to tackle dwindling foreign currency reserves coupled with the demand for dollars by oil importers, which weakens the Ghana cedi and increases living costs.
Speaking at the 2022 AGI Awards in Accra, Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia explained that Ghana’s gold for oil program will give Ghana the space to accumulate more international reserves as the country will save the $3 billion it spends on oil imports.
He added that the use of gold was specifically for oil imports in the face of declining foreign exchange reserves.
However, Dr Ato Forson believes the deal is marred by corruption as he explained that the government did not buy oil with gold in its first transaction under the policy.
“They bought the oil with dollars; they didn’t buy with gold as we were told. Even with that, instead of buying the oil at 95 dollars per metric tonne, they bought it at around 101 or 105 dollars per metric tonne.
“This means there is a middleman somewhere who is making 5 dollars profit around the deal,” Dr Forson noted and assured that his side of the law-making chamber will unveil the face behind that illegality.
Former Member of Parliament for Kunbungu Constituency, Ras Mubarak, has stated that the NDC’s national executive board’s recent shuffle of the leadership of the minority in parliament demonstrates how they vary from the NPP.
Ras Mubarak asserted that nobody was consulted prior to the appointment of the minority leader in the 7th Parliament and that he shudder to understand the criticism that the application of the same principle has generated this time around.
“In the 7th Parliament, some people wanted Mahama Ayariga to be Minority Leader. Others wanted Muntaka Mubarak while others rooted for Haruna Iddrisu. Who consulted us in the 7th Parliament when that decision was taken? In the end, the party’s wisdom was respected. And the leaders got the very maximum support,” he said.
In a Facebook post, he stressed the need for party members to respect and accept the judgment of the National Executive Council led by Johnson Asiedu Nketiah.
“In a time like this, what we require is maturity and not emotions and tantrums. We elected Chairman ASIEDU Nketia believing that he and the team would take some good but tough decisions. They may be doing just that.
“It is important to give him and the rest of the team the benefit of the doubt, respecting the soundness of their judgment.
“The signal the National Chairman and his team are sending is that the NDC is different from the NPP. The NPP is the only party where non-performance is rewarded. Have we not had cause to complain about the soundness of the decisions of the previous leaders and a need for changes ahead of 2024?”
The former Kunbungu member of parliament further questioned the motives of individuals who are opposing the new development.
“For those who are up in arms against the reshuffle, what moral authority would they have to question the continued stay in office of the likes of Ken Ofori-Atta who’s run the country to the ground through his wrong-headed economic policies, goaded by the President and the economic management team,” he asked.
He continued by saying that all agitations must be put on hold in order for the party to accept Ato Forson as their new minority leader.
“We need power. Asking for the decision to be reversed is bizarre. Such flip-flopping would be more fatal, with disastrous consequences to the tenure of the ASIEDU Nketia led Executives. It’s bait to get them to start on a catastrophic note.
“If we truly want power, we must put this behind us and rally behind the Ato Forson-led Minority group.
“The NDC is bigger than any individual in the party. We can’t have on our hands a situation where hell breaks loose when seemingly untouchables are reshuffled. It would be disastrous for a future NDC government. We can weather this storm together. Let people come to terms with the fact that the ship has sailed, and use their energies towards kicking out the NPP, whose tenure has been nothing but a calamitous failure,” he added.
The NDC in a statement signed by the General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey announced that it has made changes to the leadership of the minority in parliament.
The former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has been appointed as the Minority Leader in the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
Kofi Armah Buah is also the Deputy Minority Chief Whip. Kwame Agbodza takes over as Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Chief Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip.
Member of Parliament for the Asawase Constituency and Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, has revealed that Minority leader Haruna Iddrisu is upset by the NDC Executive’s decision to not go by the agreed measure to address a leadership reshuffle.
Muntaka revealed that discussions between Mr Iddrisu and newly appointed Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson were not fruitful.
“I can tell you that the meeting was not fruitful. He mentioned some measures that they had to take, but that was not done. I can tell you that he was irritated at the meeting,” Muntaka said during a press conference on Thursday.
Mr Muntaka advised the new minority leadership to be patient and allow consultations to be held before they assume their roles.
Dr Ato Forson on Thursday promised to do everything within his power to unite the caucus before he eventually assumes his position on February 7 when Parliament resumes from recess.
His comment contradicts claims by Dr Ato Forson who said that he had held fruitful discussions with his former leader following his appointment by the party.
Some NDC MPs have petitioned the party leadership over recent changes on their front bench in the lawmaking house.
The legislators believe the reshuffling is premature and does not augur well for the opposition party going into the next elections given the lack of consultation.
Addressing the media on Thursday, January 26, 2023, at the behest of the NDC parliamentarians, MP for Zebilla East and former Majority Leader, Cletus Apul Avoka stressed that only a decision arrived at after broad deliberations will be accepted.
“The basis for our prayer is that the party suspends the reshuffling as indicated by the General Secretary until such a time that a holistic meeting of stakeholders with consultations before a decision is taken.”
“It is on this backdrop that the national executives of the party a few weeks ago decided that all appointees in the party and parliament should remain in office after we conclude the parliamentary and presidential primaries. We are therefore surprised that the reshuffling is reaching the caucus in Parliament. We think that this is premature.”
The Member of Parliament for Zebilla East, Cletus Apul Avoka, has raised concerns about the timing of the NDC’s leadership reshuffle in parliament.
According to him, the party should have galvanized the party for the fight against the NPP to win the 2024 elections instead of making heroes out of nonentities.
His remarks come after the party decided to replace Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu with Cassiel Ato Forson, MP for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam.
The party also replaced Deputy Minority Leader James Klutse Avedzi with Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP for Ellembelle.
Speaking on Citi TV the lawmaker said, “this is not the time to make nobody a somebody, this is not the time to make nobody a somebody, this is the time to galvanise all of us to fight the NPP so that we can win elections not to make heroes out of nonentities, this is not the time,” Citi newsroom quoted.
Aside from Cletus Avoka, the Member of Parliament for Tamale Central also raised concerns about the party’s failure to involve the caucus in the leadership reshuffle.
According to Murtala Mohamed, the leadership reshuffle has caught everyone off guard, including those who are taking on new responsibilities.
The Minority Leader in Parliament reportedly questioned why President Akufo-Addo, who led the Kumepreko rally in 1995 to voice his opposition to economic suffering, now imposes more levies on Ghanaians.
He emphasized that the market price of products and services will automatically increase as a result of the 2.5% increase in VAT.
This will cause further suffering for Ghanaians during the current economic downturn, he claimed.
Addressing journalists on Monday, December 5, 2022, Haruna Iddrisu said, ” whilst whittling away the little we have as a country in this intransigent manner, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has decided to pile more hardships on the people of Ghana through the introduction of more taxes in the 2023 Budget presented to Parliament. What moral right does President Akufo-Addo have to increase VAT by 2.5% when he led the “KUMI PREKO” demonstration in 1995 resulting in the loss of five lives?”
“As sure as night follows day, this will worsen the hardship faced by Ghanaians, as the prices of almost all items will increase instantaneously once this tax comes into effect,” he added.
Haruna Iddrisu further said the Minority in Parliament have detected 22 additional tax and revenue measures in the 2023 budget read in parliament by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.
The additional taxes, he bemoaned, will make life more unbearable for Ghanaians.
“At a time when people are facing the worst economic crisis and hardships in their lifetime, the last thing that is desired is further taxation,” he said.
Government, on Thursday, November 24, 2022, announced an increment in Value Added Tax (VAT) by 2.5 percent for consumers of goods and services.
The move, according to government is expected to improve its domestic revenue measures while seeking to reach an IMF deal to restore macroeconomic stability.
Economic Crisis Ghana Will Need 15 Years To Recover – Ato Forson
A ranking member of the Parliament’s Finance Committee, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has claimed that a number of marriages have broken down and others are on the verge of doing so as a result of the current economic difficulties.
Mr. Forson noted that many marriages had failed because spouses couldn’t care for their homes.
Mr Akufo-Addo lamented the government’s lack of attempts to address the hurting economy and said that the high cost of living is taking a severe toll on the populace.
Debating the 2023 budget statement on the floor of Parliament on November 29, 2022, the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament said, “Mr. Speaker, the mood out there on the streets is hopelessness, the situation out there calls for urgent action, but unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, we are not seeing that.”
“There’s a massive cost of living crisis. Mr. Speaker, it will surprise you to know that, marriages are collapsing because of this government. Marriages are collapsing because the cost of living is becoming so high due to where we find ourselves. Mr. Speaker, businesses are collapsing”.
With the increase in Value Added Tax (VAT), Dr. Forson made fun of the government for being insensitive to the plight of the typical Ghanaian, adding that the Minority would be scrutinizing the new tax.
“Mr. Speaker, this budget introduced 23 different tax measures, it’s from taxation to more taxes, as if you don’t care about the people of this country. If you want to introduce tax policy, you do proper analysis, taxes have galloped. They have increased the VAT by 2.5%, this VAT rate is the worst in Africa, no country in Africa has a VAT rate in excess of 20%. This policy rate must be thoroughly debated and scrutinised. This is not the time to heap more taxes on Ghanaians,” he asserted.
The VAT was raised by the government to 2.5% in the 2023 budget statement, but the E-levy was reduced from 1.5% to 1%.
Given the rising costs of gasoline, products, and services, the cedi now trades at Gh15 to $1.
As a result of the large number of MPs who were absent during the 2023 budget discussion, Parliament was essentially empty.
The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, was unable to appear before Parliament, according to Speaker of the House Alban Bagbin, who said that Ofori-Atta was required to attend to official obligations.
The minority in parliament has raised concerns over seeming failure of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to make an appearance for the 2023 budget debate.
At the time the Speaker gave the guidelines for the commencement of the debate, the Deputy Minority Whip, Ibrahim Ahmed said there was a need for him to be present in the chamber as he needs to take note of their input.
“Mr Speaker, conspicuously missing on the floor is the mover of the motion and it Is not for nothing that the constitution says the finance minister can lay the budget on the floor on behalf of the president. So, you can’t just move the motion and remain there. It is appropriate that the minister must be here, Mr Speaker if he is not ready to do the job, he should let the house know. He must be here to hear our input.”
Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, Ato Forson said this is becoming quite characteristic of the finance minister. He therefore urged that the house should not debate on the budget until their input is considered by the finance minister.
Speaking on the matter, the majority leader said the constitution does not provide any where that the economic policy and the budget statement should be submitted to this house by the Minister of Finance.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also said that the president can choose any minister to lay the budget before the house and the minister is not obligated to speak to it.
He however stated that the finance minister had given prior notice that he would be absent from the country but indicated the availability of the two-deputy ministers to take note of suggestions.
“I also want to ensure all Ghanaians that no individual or institutional investor, including pension funds, in government treasury bills or instruments would lose their money as a result of our continuing IMF negotiations,” the president declared in a speech on October 30, 2022.
There won’t be any “haircuts,” so I implore you to disregard the untrue rumors, just as the Government made sure the 4.6 million depositors impacted by the exercise didn’t lose their money during the banking sector clean-up.
However, during the presentation of the 2023 budget, the Finance Minister announced that due to Ghana’s unsustainable debt levels, there will be a debt exchange programme.
“I heard the deputy minister say that the only debt instrument that will not be affected by a debt restructuring is Treasury bills. This simply means that if you are a domestic debt holder, bonds are going to be affected by the restructuring. As long as it is domestic, it is going to be affected.
“The Eurobonds are going to be affected; term loans are going to be affected. Loans are going to go through a haircut. So clearly, the president was not honest to the people of Ghana when he announced that there will be no haircut,” he told journalists on November 25, 2022.
“This budget is going to introduce extreme austerity in the year 2023. I can only urge the people of Ghana to brace up for economic hardship worse than what we went through in 1979 and 1983.
“To the youth of this country, there is going to be a net freeze of employment, there is no hope for you. To the ordinary trader, taxes are going to go up, and to the people of Ghana, be ready that prices of goods and services will go up because of the increase in VAT,” he said.
Government bans the use of V8, V6 vehicles except for cross-country travel
Ranking Member on Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, has criticised the manner in which the banking sector clean-up exercise was conducted and its subsequent ramifications on the economy.
The 2019 exercise saw the Bank of Ghana revoke the licenses of some 347 Microfinance Companies and 23 Savings and Loans and Finance House Companies.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, said the move was necessary because of mismanagement at these financial institutions which led to depositors’ funds being locked up with no hope of such funds ever being accessed.
The development is said to have cost the state about ¢21 billion of taxpayers’ funds.
This concern was, once again, brought to the fore during proceedings of the Committee hearing the censure motion against the Finance Minister.
Addressing the Parliamentary Committee, Cassiel Ato Forson indicated that best practices were not applied by government which led to what the Minority believes is fiscal recklessness.
The situation he said later led to unplanned debt which was subsequently borne by the taxpayer.
“Ghana decided to go on a route where the burden of the banking sector clean up was transferred to the taxpayer. I think that was wrong. I think that Ghana could have decided to go for other ways in dealing with the banking sector issues,” he said in response to a question posed by North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
MP for Akatsi South, Bernard Ahiafor asked for more clarity on his point.
Dr Forson retorted on Tuesday that; “If I’m the Minister of Finance, there is no way I was going to borrow money to collapse a bank.”
Defending his side’s position at the hearing, Dr Ato Forson said the process was not well managed by government.
The Finance Minister’s fate currently lies in the hands of an 8-member committee investigating allegations leveled by the Minority as adequate grounds for his removal.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin on Thursday, November 10, constituted the Committee, which has seven days to submit its report.
It comprises Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Bernard Ahiafor on the Minority side and Patrick Yaw Boamah, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi and Andrew Agyapa Mercer from the Majority side.
Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, MP, Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam, has insisted that Ghana’s debt restructuring will include the country experiencing some “haircuts” in order to curb the current economic crisis.
His view is contrary to that of the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who has stated categorically in his address to the nation on Sunday, October 30, that there will be no loss of funds of persons and institutions that have invested in various public schemes.
The president noted that steps would be taken to protect the investment of citizens as the government pushes for a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“I also want to assure all Ghanaians that no individual or institutional investor, including pension funds, in government treasury bills or instruments will lose their money, as a result of our ongoing IMF negotiations. There will be no ‘haircuts’ so I urge all of you to ignore the false rumours, just as, in the banking sector cleanup, government ensured that the 4.6 million depositors affected by the exercise did not lose their deposits,” President Akufo-Addo said.
But speaking on Accra-based Joy FM, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Finance Committee, indicated that there would definitely be a ‘haircut’ as Ghana awaits a bailout from the IMF.
“I don’t know the basis the President made that statement and if you run the maths, it doesn’t add up and I will be surprised that Ghana will get an IMF programme without a haircut.
“I can say on authority that there would be some form of a haircut. Clearly, someone is not briefing the President properly or probably the writing did not come out well. ‘The President goofed’, he shouldn’t have said it in a categorical manner because what it has done is that, it has sent additional uncertainties to the market clearly indicating that someone is not on top of his job.
“I do not know how our debt will be sustainable by the year 2028 brings to over 100 per cent…clearly indicating that we are to [remove] 50 per cent of debt without a debt restructuring, it is impossible,” Dr. Ato Forson explained.
The Minister for Health Kweku Agyeman Manu has told the High Court in Accra that he has not seen any documents that Dr Cassiel Ato Forson authorised payments of purchase of ambulances.
The Minister who was facing cross-examination from defence lawyers made this known on his final day of scrutiny by defence lawyers.
Dr Abdul Basit Aziz Bamba, counsel for Ato Forson,had asked if the minister had sighted any documents at his ministry which indicated that the first accused authorised the payments of the contract sum of the ambulances.
The Minister who is the 3rd Prosecution Witness in the ongoing trial answered in the negative.
It was the case of counsel for Ato Forson, that, after the LCs (Letter of Credit) was established on August 18, 2014, he had not sighted any documents that indicated that A1 (Dr Ato Forson) authorised payments to be made under the LC.
Mr. Agyeman Manu, who is the 3rd witness agreed with him, saying “I have not sighted any documents to show that A1 authorised payments for Ambulances.â€
In the last day of his scrutiny, the Minister also admitted that government failed to send its officials to inspect ambulances it was procuring before they were shipped to Ghana, contrary to the clear terms of the contract.
Under further cross examination from lawyers for Dr Forson led by Dr Abdul Aziz Bamba on September 1, the defence confronted him with some exhibits, some of which he indicated he had not see before.
Government failure on obligation
Kweku Agyemanalso admitted that government did not perform one of its obligations under the contract.
“In my mind, I will say no. But my lady let me draw your attention to another fact. In that same bullet point, LCs on the sight of goods shall be established upon the signing of the contract for every 50 ambulances.
“My lady, Exhibit V that I have, speaks about purchasing brand new 200 medical ambulances. And so my lady, the contract for every 50 ambulances that clause 4.2 talks about, was never done. And therefore, the LCs should not have been established at all,†he told the court.
Asked again by Counsel Dr Bamba if he “will you agree with me that by the government of Ghana not complying with clause 4.2.1 in terms of the time frame for setting up the LC, the government of Ghana breached Exhibit V.“
The Health Minister said, “That is correct.â€
Counsel again put to him that, to the best of his knowledge, did the government of Ghana conduct a pre-shipment inspection before the ambulances were shipped to Ghana, the Health Minister answered in the negative.
He subsequently admitted that the Health Ministry reached an agreement with the supplier on a plan for rectifying the defects in the ambulances.
He added that, some medical equipment for the vehicles shipped have never cleared from the ports.
Asked by Dr Bamba why the equipment was not cleared, the Minister said, the Ministry did not have the funds to do so and that, he had urged the supplier to clear the items which counsel stated that, it was the obligation of the Ministry of Health to clear the items.
Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, Cassiel Ato Forson, has responded to the IMF statement advising parliament to approve a $ 1 billion loan to prevent the economy from grinding to a halt.
According to him, parliament does not take instruction from foreign partners but rather considers advice that can either be accepted or rejected depending on the circumstance.
“Parliament does not take instruction from our foreign partners, we take advice, so advice can either be accepted or be rejected depending on the circumstance of the day. Yes, we have the document and we have to do justice with the document,†he said
Speaking in an interview after a committee considered the loan agreement which has been rejected, Ato Forson stated that it was due to the fact that some concerns including defects in the document raised by the minority with regards to the loan have not been addressed.
“…we met as a committee for us to consider and approve two tranches of loans. We have considered them in good fate but we have lingering concerns. First of all, we believe that the document before us has some fundamental defects because what is in the memorandum to parliament and what is in the loan agreement have some difference in the sense that in one breath, we were called upon to approve a loan of 750 million dollars but what is in the agreement has two trenches, tranche A and tranche b, one is in dollars and one in euros. So that will mean that parliament would have to amend what was brought to us.
“A major concern to us is, what is in the budget is significantly different from what they are asking us to do. The budget is saying that in the course of the year they will be taking a term loan of 750million dollars, so why do you ask us to approve 1 billion when your own budget says 750million?
“Parliament does not take instruction from our foreign partners, we take advise, so advise can either be accepted or be rejected depending on the circumstance of the day. Yes, we have the document and we have to do justice with the document. A major concern to us is, what is in the budget is significantly different from what they are asking us to do. The budget is saying that in the course of the year they will be taking a term loan of 750million dollars, so why do you ask us to approve 1 billion when your own budget says 750million?†he said.
The Minority has shot down the approval of a 1 billion dollar syndicated loan at the committee meeting despite IMF advice that it should be approved to prevent the economy from grinding to a halt.
According to the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, Ato Forson, their decision was due to the fact that some concerns including defects in the document raised by the minority with regards to the loan have not been addressed.
He insists that until the right things are done, the minority side will not approve the one billion dollar syndicated loan despite the IMF plea.
Speaking in an interview, he said, “…we met as a committee for us to consider and approve two tranches of loans. We have considered them in good fate but we have lingering concerns. First of all, we believe that the document before us has some fundamental defects because what is in the memorandum to parliament and what is in the loan agreement have some difference in the sense that in one breath, we were called upon to approve a loan of 750 million dollars but what is in the agreement has two trenches, tranche A and tranche b, one is in dollars and one in euros. So that will mean that parliament would have to amend what was brought to us.â€
When asked why they ignored the advice of the IMF, he said they only take advice from foreign partners and not instructions.
“Parliament does not take instructions from our foreign partners, we take advice from them, advice can either be accepted or rejected it depends on the circumstances on the day,†Ato Forson added.
The incumbent Member of Parliament for Ajumako Enyan Essiam Constituency in the Central Region who also doubles as the Minority Ranking Member on Finance Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson has won the seat with a huge margin.
He polled 39,229 to beat his closest contender Dr. Rashid Kwesi Etuaful who secured 28,669 votes.
Before the 2020 poll, Hon. Ato Forson said 2020 parliamentary will be the easiest election he will ever contest since he became a Politician, adding that his opponent Dr. Rashid Kwesi Etuaful was very light hence he will win massively.
“I have twenty years to spend on the Ajumako Enyan Essiam Constituency seat as a Member of Parliament before going on retirement, so I am not going to stop contesting the seat.
According to Ato Forson, the NDC party has seized the Ajumako Enyan Essiam Constituency seat for 60 years so NPP should not attempt to wrestle it as they are bound to fail.
“The people of Ajumako Enyan Essiam Constituency retained me due to my hard work in terms of developmental projects I have brought in my Constituency and I am promising my Constituents to watch out for more developmental projects coming year.â€
Parliament has clarified that the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Cassiel Ato Forson, is yet to file a question on the expenditure returns of GHS280.3 million allocated for the coronavirus fight.
Mr. Forson had reportedly claimed on Accra-based Joy FM that he filed the question during the partial-lockdown period.
These concerns from Mr. Forson had been highlighted earlier on Monday when he called on the Auditor-General to undertake a special audit into the GHS280.3 million that was allocated by the government for the provision of food, water and sanitation under the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme (CAP).
Parliament, however, says, from its records, there is no specific question on the GHS280.3 million on its file.
The statement further noted that Mr. Forson admitted he was yet to file the question.
“Upon further consultation with the Honourable Member [Cassiel Ato Forson], he indicated that he intends to file a question today [Tuesday] on the matter raised in the media.â€
“Once it is filed, it will be processed in accordance with the rules of the House,†the statement added.
New constituency allegations
Parliament also noted that Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, was alleged to have alluded to the creation of new constituencies in a presentation on May 20.
It refuted such claims saying “no such presentation has been made by the Majority Leader.â€
“In fact, the Majority Leader in the said presentation stated categorically that the Committee of Subsidiary Legislation should endeavour to submit its report on the Public Elections 2020 for the consideration of the House on or before the coming into force of the instrument.â€
