Finance Minister must be heard over vote of censure – Majority tells Minority

Finance Minister must be heard over vote of censure – Majority tells Minority

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The Majority in Parliament is asking the Minority to offer the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta an opportunity to be heard on allegations levelled as the basis for a vote of censure against him.

The Minority filed a motion of vote of censure against the Finance Minister over claims of conflict of interest and fiscal recklessness leading to the current economic hardship.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, in his ruling on an objection against the vote of censure, described the motion as appropriately laid.

But speaking on the floor of Parliament, the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin raised some other concerns pertaining to the motion.

“The Minister is entitled to be heard. You cannot take away the right to fair hearing from a respondent. So Mr. Speaker, my view is that, we have a serious matter as censure and the applicants have not served the Minister neither have they served the basis on which they mounted their application.”

The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu said the Speaker’s ruling must be upheld.

“The Speaker has ruled, and we must show respect to the Speaker. If there are any disagreements with the ruling, they know what to do. Ordinarily, any civilized democracy in the world, you don’t even need a motion for the Minister of Finance to go home. He, upon self-appraisal of where he has led the country and economy to, in all conscience, will bow out and save the nation. So, we have brought a competent motion.”

The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Andrew Asiamah Amoako in his ruling has directed that the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin’s ruling on the matter be maintained.

“The issue of censure motion has already been discussed. These issues were raised, and the Speaker ruled that, the motion was appropriate, so I think that we will patiently wait as the motion matures.”

The grounds the Minority cites for the vote of censure are the:

Despicable conflict of Interest ensuring that he directly benefits from Ghana’s economic woes as his companies receive commissions and other unethical contractual advantages, particularly from Ghana’s debt overhang.

Unconstitutional withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund in blatant contravention of Article 178 of the 1992 Constitution, supposedly for the construction of the President’s Cathedral:

Illegal payment of oil revenues into offshore accounts, in flagrant violation of Article 176 of the 1992 Constitution:

Deliberate and dishonest misreporting of economic data to Parliament 5. Fiscal recklessness leading to the crash of the Ghana Cedi which is currently the worst-performing currency in the world:

Alarming incompetence and frightening ineptitude, resulting in the collapse of the Ghanaian economy and an excruciating cost of living crisis;

Gross mismanagement of the Ghanaian economy which as occasioned untold and unprecedented hardship.

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By: Nii Ayikwei Okine