Ghana’s Finance Minister, Ofori-Atta survives Vote of Censure

Ghana’s Finance Minister Mr Ken Ofori-Atta has survived the motion of censure filed by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, and seconded by the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed, seeking his  removal from office.

This was as a result of failure of the motion to obtain the constitutional two-thirds of membership of the House.

After the secret balloting, done in the absence of the Majority Members (MPs), who staged a walkout to have nothing to do with the motion, 136 NDC MPs voted while there were no abstentions nor ‘No’ votes.

“The vote is accordingly lost,” Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin stated.

The Speaker had referred the motion to an eight-member ad hoc committee to consider and, more importantly, give the Finance Minister the opportunity to be heard.

Before the secret ballot, Speaker Bagbin justified his decision to refer the motion to the committee.

“The public hearing has vindicated my decision. The referral of the motion is proper and in accordance with the law. The House may now proceed to debate the motion.”

After the debate from both sides of the House, Speaker Bagbin called for secret voting in accordance with Article 82 of the 1992 Constitution.

That was when the Majority MPs staged their walkout and this comes despite a consensus that Mr Ofori-Atta should not continue his role as Minister due to the aches with the economy.

Minority Leader Iddrisu thanked the Speaker for his tenacity in ordering the vote of censure and said for the purposes of records and posterity, he will be deemed as contributing to a key democratic exercise.

Source: 3news.com