More than half of the governing New Patriotic Party’s MPs have asked President Akufo-Addo to relieve Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta of his duties.

The demand coincided with a government-sponsored high-powered meeting of the Bank of Ghana and heads of Banks and Forex Bureaus in response to the cedi’s free fall.

The demand follows the sharp economic decline in the past few months which has seen inflation go past 40% and a dollar selling for more than ¢15 at forex rates.

The legislators have only echoed what multiple analysts have told the President. It is not news. Why then is it trending and why has the Tuesday morning request taken over headlines?

First of all, this is the first time that an Executive has received such a demand from its own party in Parliament. It used to be business as usual. The demand, therefore, hits and hits hard, with the MPs saying the government should not count on their support if the request is not adhered to.

Secondly, there’s always that thought that it’s all for the show of it. Putting up a show before showing Mr. Ofori-Atta the exit would win sympathy for the government as a listening leadership instead of doing it quietly. Therefore, the question goes, is this mere razzmatazz? A big show before a premeditated decision is taken?

We cannot say for sure but if the President does dismiss the Minister or the more likely, if Ofori-Atta resigns, it would fuel the speculations, mostly because the President has previously outrightly dismissed calls to sack the Finance Minster for the economic turmoil and for conflict of interest.

But then, if this is not razzmatazz and the MPs made the demand genuinely, would the President listen? Answering the question is as tough as answering the question between creation and the big bang.

The Finance Minister has been involved in multiple controversies in the past which pressed analysts and the opposition NDC to call for his dismissal with an attempt to call a vote of censure during Akufo-Addo’s first term but the President insists the Minister has his confidence.

https://www.myjoyonline.com/there-is-no-basis-to-sack-ofori-atta-akufo-addo/

Akufo-Addo has dismissed Ministers before so it is not an issue of avoiding precedent with Ken Ofori-Atta which leave speculations to build up that the only reason the Finance Minister still holds his position is due to his blood relation to the President as they are cousins, a situation which has repeatedly courted accusations of nepotism against the administration.

This time, the pressure is unprecedented as previously mentioned and it is unlikely that Ken Ofori-Atta would ride the storm. A resignation seems more likely than a dismissal but we wait. No one can say for sure.

The President is needed to get rid of the Finance Minister because the Constitution makes the Minister answerable to the President and not to Parliament.

Even if a vote of censure passes in the House, the President “may” remove him, says the Constitution instead of the mandatory “shall.” All Ministers, therefore, serve at the pleasure of the President.