Ken Ofori-Atta finally breaks silence on calls for his resignation

The Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta has finally break silence on the call by Ghanaians and the opposition National Democratic Congress to resign following the government’s decision to seek support from the IMF.

Speaking to TV3 on the sideline of the ongoing New Patriotic Party’s National Delegate Conference at the Accra Sport Stadium, monitored by GhanaPlus.com, he said the call is neither here nor there.

According to him, asking him to resign because Ghana sought help from the international organization which undertakes a regular health check of the economic and financial policies  of its member countries is like asking a father to step aside from his children because he changed his mind about something.

”It is almost like telling a father to resign from his children because he has changed his mind,” he said.

He explained sometimes decisions have to be made for survival and that is what the country did.

“There are times that decisions have to be made for the survival of the country and therefore, if such circumstances such as Covid or Ukraine war occur which are not typical, it does change the environment,” Mr Ofori-Atta mentioned.

Ken Ofori-Atta must resign

The Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta has come under pressure to quit his position since the country’s economic misfortunes begun some months ago.

The pressure, has however, intensified following the country’s decision to turn to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for support, something he has said on many occasions that it will never happened.

Among those who have called for his resignation are the formal President and 2020 flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama, Former Minister of Energy, Dr Kwabena Donkor, Economist and Professor of Finance at the University of Ghana Business School, Professor Godfred A. Bokpin etc. 

The President on July 1, directed the minister to officially begun interactions with the IMF for support for its programmes.

“The President of the Republic of Ghana has authorized Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to commence formal engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) inviting the Fund to support an economic programe put together by the Government of Ghana.

“This follows a telephone conversation between the President and the IMF Managing Director, Ms Kristalina Georgieva , conveying Ghana’s decision to engage with the fund,” the statement said.

The decision has however, received missed reactions from the public.

Source: GhanaPlus.com