The former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Agyepong, has stated that the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, should have resigned following his decision to approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bailout.
According to Mr Agyepong, individuals should demonstrate humility and step down when they fail.
Ofori-Atta had initially declared that Ghana would not seek assistance from the IMF, however, within a few weeks, he made a complete U-turn and approached the IMF for a bailout to help the crippling economy.
In an interview on Starr FM, Mr Agyepong asserted that in a functioning democracy, such actions should prompt a resignation. He disagreed with the President’s decision not to take action and sack the Finance Minister.
“He [Ofori-Atta] had stood in front of all Ghanaians and said that we were not going to the IMF and did a full U-turn in a couple of weeks. And I said in any decent democracy you stand down as a person. He chose not to go and I disagree with the President for not taking the action to let him go.
“Months down the line the MPs, how many of them 88 [MPs called for his resignation] so I wasn’t wrong. I was just having that foresight, months down the line. So these are difficult things that as Ghanaians as party people we have to deal with,” Mr. Agyepong said.
He continued: “Again it is important that we have the humility that we have been through a lot of difficulties, difficult times, and challenges. Although the government has delivered on several fronts there are other fronts that we have struggled with.”
Mr Agyepong also dismissed the notion that he has something against the Minister for Finance.
“Sometimes, people create the impression that I have an issue with him but I don’t.”
