In July, 2022, the Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central, Samson Tambongu Chiragia backed calls for President Akufo Addo to fire Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta following the government’s decision to engage the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Many believed at that point that the Finance Minister had lost the moral right to lead Ghana in the negotiation with the IMF after he made a categorical statement that Ghana would not go to the IMF under him.
Speaking on the Day Break Upper East Show on A1 Radio, Mr Chiragia said the Finance Minister has run out of ideas and should step back or be fired by the President.
“They should make sure that Ken Ofori Atta is not part of that team. He needs to resign, they need to sack him and bring a better person who can send us to a proper IMF.”
“The truth has come out from the back. If you remember last January, I said Ghana was broke and we had no choice but to go to the IMF because there were certain things that we were doing and we couldn’t discipline ourselves. You have committed yourself up to a certain level that you cannot say you’re going back. All your flagship programmes failed. We couldn’t mobilise our revenue and we have overspent.”
After some 80 NPP MPs along with all 137 NDC MPs asked the President to summarily dismiss the Finance Minister, the Navrongo MP, Mr. Tangombu has said he has been vindicated by taking the position months earlier.
“Yes. Absolutely, yes [I have been vindicated]. I said it and said it time and again. I said the man lacked ideas. I said the man should be removed but because he is the family member of the President, he has been there up until this point. Now, he has brought Ghana to where we are today. Look at where our currency is today.”
Mr. Tangombu reiterated that when changed, the Finance Ministry would receive fresh ideas from whomever is put in charge.
“Let us hope that the President is able to bring a different person with different ideas. Somebody who is able to listen to advice and engage in wider consultations. Ghana is bigger than an individual. You could see clearly that what happened yesterday, it is no longer about political parties but it is about Ghana. We all buy from the same government. Those who were then crediting the man now understand what we were telling them.”
While admitting that the decision by the 80 NPP MPs could have come earlier, Mr. Tangombu said, “it is not too late. It is better than nothing.”
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
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