Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance, said the Censure Motion by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Caucus against him had done some good to advance Ghana’s democracy.
Presenting his defence in Parliament during a debate on the Censure Motion, Mr Ofori-Atta said he was innocent of all the allegations levelled against him.
“This Censure has done some good in advancing our democracy; as we would hope that in future, such censures will have more thoroughness, will be less politically motivated,” he stated.
“Mr Speaker, the allegations are what they say and I have really very little more to answer after all the answers that I gave at the committee meeting. For I tell you, Mr Speaker, that even if I said I am innocent, they will not believe me, and if I ask for truth and proof, they will not be able to answer that. I have committed no crime.”
On the issue of recklessness, mismanagement, and conflict of interest….he said, “I ask my colleague (referring to Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Ranking Member, Finance Committee of Parliament) who used to be at the Ministry, what happened in 2015, for Ghana to run to the IMF?”
“No recklessness, no mismanagement, no COVID, no Ukraine war and Mr speaker President Akufo-Addo’s Government has to then come and bail them out and we did so successfully.”
Mr Ofori-Atta said for the loud and urgent voices seem to be prevailing and the yells and shouts of censure, censure, shall forever ring in the ears, conscience, and souls of those who signed the censure and that it would reign as crucify, crucify in their minds for no reason.
He noted that in this very country, Ghanaians had voted for Preventive Detention Acts (PDAs) by the Nkrumah regime, and the Citizens Vetting Committees by the Rawlings regime, adding that such discussions should not be encouraged.
“Mr speaker the Lord is gracious and compassionate, Mr Speaker the Lord is slow to anger and rich in love. It is such love that we must show to those who have brought us here,” Mr Ofori-Atta said.
He reiterated that the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy Statement of the Government, called the “Nkabom (unity) Budget”, was what Ghanaians need going forward.
Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice told the House that, in his opinion, the Finance Minister was not given the requisite opportunity to defend himself in line with constitutional requirements.
