Member of Parliament for the Shai-Osudoku Constituency in the Greater Accra Region Hon.Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo believes the majority NPP MPs were blackmailed with their seats that was why they staged a walkout during the censure voting on Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
“The NPP leaders feared the voting was a secret voting so NPP MPs could have voted Ofori-Atta out that is why they walked out” She told Citizen Kofi Owusu.
Speaking on Ahotor 92.3 Fm’s morning show, Adekye Mu Nsem, Hon. Ocloo said President Akufo-Addo promised Ofori-Atta to make him the Finance Minister if he becomes president that is why he can’t sack him.
“182 votes could have attained but don’t remember the President will have the last power to sack the finance minister or not, which he will not because he made a promise to him the finance minister if he help him win power, there is something between Ken Ofori-Atta and President Akufo-Addo which is more than just family members”.
The Minority in Parliament failed to succeed in their attempt to remove Ken Ofori-Atta from office.
The censure motion against Finance Minister failed to meet the required number of votes required to succeed.
The motion, which was debated on Thursday and subsequently voted on, had only the Minority members being present to vote.
All 136 Minority MPs took part in the secret vote to pass the censure motion.
The Majority members walked out minutes before the voting commenced.
The NPP MPs described the Minority’s action as one in futility and not adhering to the Constitution as their numbers lack the constitutional mandate to form a quorum.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin ruling on the vote said the Minority MPs did not meet the Constitutional threshold of 183 MPs, thus two-thirds of members of the House.
“In accordance with article 83(1) which reads; Parliament may by a resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of all the MPs pass a vote of censure on the Minister for State. Following the terms of Article 82 (1) the vote is accordingly lost,” he said on the floor.
It would be recalled that the Minority members filed a censure motion against Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta which sought to dismiss the Minister from office.
The Speaker subsequently referred the motion to an eight-member Adhoc Committee for a review.
The Committee after its hearing presented its report to the House last week. The report was admitted by the House in Parliament on Thursday before the debate on the censure motion.
Already, some 98 NPP MPs had called for the head of the Minister on grounds of incompetence and mismanagement of the economy.
The NPP MPs were later invited by the President and National Executives of the party who appealed to the MPs to allow the Minister conclude the IMF negotiations and presentation of the 2023 Budget.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh / Ahotoronline.com
