The Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu has disclosed that the motion of censure they filed against Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta for his dismissal will not go through if the majority caucus refuses to cooperate.
He stated that he is fully aware the Minority does not have the numbers to propel their motion through.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, he indicated that after calling for a secret ballot on the motion that “if they cooperate we will be successful, if they don’t cooperate our exercise will not succeed.”
For his part, Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the motion of censure was a political agenda of the NDC.
It will not be supported by the Majority, he said.
He accused the minority caucus of playing “mischief” with the motion.
“This censure motion has already failed, who told you, you are going to get any support from [our] side? it is a political motion and we won’t support it, you won’t get any support. We will prove to you that it is an agenda against the Finance Minister. It is an NDC matter.” he said
The report of the 8-member committee that probed the allegations made against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta by the Minority, was laid before Parliament.
The report was laid by co-chair, K. T. Hammond on Friday, November 25.
The Second Deputy Speaker Andrew Asiamah instructed that copies of the report be shared with members. Procedurally, debate on it will take place in subsequent sittings, TV3’s Evelyne Tengmaa reported on Friday, November 25.
Mr. Ofori-Atta told the committee hearing on Friday, November 18 that the proponents’ allegations do not have “weight for censure.”
He said each of the allegations leveled against him was a total falsehood and went on to kick against the supposed allegations.
On the allegation of deliberate misreporting of economic data to Parliament, he said it is completely false.
“Since I took office in 2017, I have served the country with integrity and honesty.
“Under my leadership at the Ministry of Finance, there have been significant improvements in the accurate reporting of public finances.
“Today, under President Nana Akufo-Addo, Ghanaians are enjoying greater accountability and transparency in the management of the public purse than any other period under the Fourth Republic.”
By Lawrence Odoom