Ken Ofori-Atta Must Account for His Stewardship — COPEC Executive Secretary
The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Duncan Amoah, has renewed calls for former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to account for decisions taken during his tenure, arguing that public confidence in governance depends on holding former public officials accountable, regardless of their political affiliation.
Mr. Amoah said Ghanaians must take a keen interest in government budgets and demand explanations from individuals who have managed the country’s finances. He argued that unresolved questions surrounding Mr. Ofori-Atta’s tenure could become a political challenge for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as it prepares for the 2028 general elections.
“If you are an NPP person, you should be worried anytime that this debacle continues to extend. Because, again, if you ask me to come 2028 to give you a mandate, are you bringing me a different finance minister or the same kind of crookish thing that was done?” he said.
Mr. Amoah insisted that the former Finance Minister owed Ghanaians an explanation over decisions taken while he was in office.
“The man should come and account to us. Look, he might be able to even help us find certain money that he didn’t pick, right? But under his stewardship, this is what you will see,” he stated.
He stressed that his position was based on the principle of public accountability and was not motivated by partisan politics. According to him, every national budget and the decisions taken under it must be open to public scrutiny.
The comments come as Mr. Ofori-Atta remains in the United States amid corruption-related proceedings initiated by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
The OSP has filed several corruption and corruption-related charges against the former Finance Minister and, through the Attorney-General, is pursuing his extradition to Ghana. The cases are linked to investigations into matters including the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) contracts and the National Cathedral project, among others.
Meanwhile, a U.S. court has granted Mr. Ofori-Atta permanent residency in the United States after finding that the evidence presented in the immigration proceedings did not sufficiently establish that he had committed wrongdoing.
However, Mr. Amoah maintained that the immigration decision does not remove the need for the former minister to account to Ghanaians for his stewardship of the country’s finances.
Story by Freedom Etsey Lavoe