A member of pressure group, Occupy Ghana, Sydney Casely-Hayford has named some five members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) whom he believes are behind the petition against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta in the $2.25 billion bond saga.
According to him, although Brogya Genfi, the Ashanti Regional Youth Organizer of the NDC was fronting the action, the likes of Tamale Central MP, Inusah Fuseini, Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Chief Whip,Muntaka Mubarak, North Tongu MP, Okudzeto Ablakwa, Ketu South, Fiifi Kwetey were pulling the strings.
“They are a group of destructive citizens. Brogya Genfi led the whole thing but behind him is a whole arsenal in the likes of Inusah Fuseini, Haruna Iddrisu, Muntaka Mubarak, Okudzeto Ablakwa, Fiifi Kwetey. And all that team are there supporting what he is doing in a mischievous way to try and derail the progress of the country,” he said in Citi FM’s news analysis programme, The Big Issue yesterday [Saturday].
[contextly_sidebar id=”7zgQuNLluCDoFEXgChN8Se5XdAc2VQhP”]According to Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid, Ken Ofori Atta has indicated that he is going to court to compel the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to overturn some of the declarations made against him following the petition submitted to the Commission by Brogya Genfi.
Genfi, in April 2017, petitioned CHRAJ to investigate the $2.25 billion bond issued by government, citing possible conflict of interest in the deal with regards to the Finance Minister and his alleged acquaintances, whom Genfi claimed had bought the bond at convenient rates.
CHRAJ, after months of investigations, said Ofori-Atta breached certain processes in the issuance of the bond but cleared him of all claims of conflict of interest.
Minority pushes for Ofori-Atta’s dismissal
On the back of the CHRAJ report, the Minority called on President Akufo-Addo to sack the Finance Minister, for breaching aspects of the law in the issuance of the bond
They have also suggested that the Finance Minister could alternatively resign over the matter.
“We serve notice that in the event that the President, Nana Akufo-Addo does not exercise appropriate judgment, we will initiate an action of censurship against the Minister. We in the minority feel strongly vindicated by the [CRAHJ] report… All of us must uphold the laws of Ghana including the Minister for Finance,” Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu said.
Ofori-Atta won’t resign
But Casely-Hayford is sceptical over the call for the removal of the Finance Minister by the Minority.
According to him, such action won’t materialize as the President would not be willing to get rid of such a crucial member of his government.
“He will not resign. The president, his boss will not sack him. The motion of censure will not work. His boss has no desire to dismiss his Finance Minister. The whole thing is an exercise in futility and it will not work. They [Minority] know that it will not work,” he added.
I’ll join Ofori-Atta’s suit – Brogya Genfi
In a related development, Brogya Genfi, had said he will file a joinder application should Ofori-Atta drag CHRAJ to court over its findings on the issuance of the $2.25 billion bond.
“I am very interested in it and as an interested party, I am going to join anything that the Finance Minister will institute against CHRAJ because I sent the petition to CHRAJ,” Genfi said in a Citi News interview.
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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin