Majority MPs in Parliament have threatened to boycott the reading of the 2023 budget if Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta is not sacked.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the NPP lawmakers stated that they are displeased with the management of the economy under Ken Ofori-Atta.

The MPs have therefore signed a petition urging the President to sack his cousin, Ken Ofori-Atta.

“We have made our great concern to the President through the Parliamentary leadership and the leadership of the party without any positive response.

We are by this medium communicating our strong desire that the President changes the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State in the Finance Ministry without any further delays, in order to restore hope into the financial sector and reverse the downward trend in the growth of the economy”, MP for Asante Akim North, Andy Appiah-Kubi said.

The legislator continued, “Meanwhile we want to serve notice, and notice is hereby served that until such persons as aforementioned are made to resign or removed from office, we members of the majority caucus here in Parliament will not participate in any business of government by or for the President by any other minister.

We hope that those of us [at] the backbench and members of the majority caucus will abide by this prayer. We are saying that if our request is not responded to positively, we will not be present for the budget hearing, neither will we participate in the debate”.

The call by the NPP MPs comes at a time when there are widespread calls for Ken Ofori-Atta to resign, following the current economic crisis.

According to his critics, he has steered the economy into a ditch, hence the need for him to vacate his post.

But reacting to these public concerns, President Akufo-Addo said the Finance Minister has performed to his satisfaction.

Speaking in an interview on Kumasi-based OTEC FM last week, he said there is no basis to sack his cousin, Ken Ofori-Atta.

Meanwhile, some Ghanaians have expressed concerns about the absence of leading NPP MPs in the call for the Finance Minister to be sacked.

Front line MPs such as the Majority Leader, Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and other leading MPs were absent at this morning’s press conference where the NPP MPs called for the sack of the Finance Minister.

This has therefore raised concerns about the genuineness of the call; with some describing it as a mere political gimmick, aimed at calming down Ghanaians amidst the current economic crisis.