Andy Appiah-Kubi, Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North has called on president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to honour a promise made last year to fire Ken Ofori-Atta, the embattled Minister of Finance.
Appiah-Kubi who was the leader of a group of ruling party MPs under the infamous “Ken Must Go” banner, that threatened to withdraw support for government business in parliament if Ofori-Atta remained at post.
A meeting brokered by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) between the MPs and the presidency laid out three conditions after which the sacking of Ofori-Atta will be considered.
Appiah-Kubi told Accra-based TV3 on February 8 that all three conditions have been fulfilled and that the ball was now in the court of the president to stick to his side of the bargain.
“The indications were not exactly the total conclusion of the IMF (programme). The road maps were the passing of the budget, the approval of the appropriation and the conclusion of the first phase of the IMF negotiations which we have reached already because we have reached conclusion at Staff-Level …
“So, for all that happened at negotiations, we have delivered as one party as Members of Parliament and it is up to the president to also deliver as a contracting party.
“As far as I am concerned, all three milestones have been achieved … we have reached our end of the milestone, we expect the president to also do same,” he added.
Ofori-Atta was untouched in a recent ministerial shakeup that saw Akufo-Addo nominate seven persons for ministerial and deputy positions in his government.
The ministerial shakeup
President Akufo-Addo, on February 7,2023; nominated Kobina Tahiru Hammond (MP for Adansi Asokwa) as the minister-designate for Trade and Industry and Bryan Acheampong (MP for Abetifi) as the minister-designate for Food and Agriculture.
Other nominations the president made are Stephen Asamoah Boateng, for the Ministry of Chieftaincy; Mohammed Amin Adam as Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Osei Bonsu Amoah as Minister of State for Local Government.
Stephen Amoah, the Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, was also appointed a Deputy Minister-designate for Trade and Industry.
Herbert Krapah, previously the deputy trade minister was also moved to the energy ministry with the same rank.
