The Ranking Member on Parliament’s Finance Committee has reiterated his call for the Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta to step aside for a competent person to handle the country’s economy. 

Dr Cassiel Ato Forson said the Minister has been “irresponsible and reckless” in the management of Ghana’s finances. 

According to the Ajumako Enyan Essiam legislator, such a person cannot lead the efforts to rescue the economy. 

Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM on Monday, the former Deputy Finance Minister said the Minister has been very abysmal in the discharge of his duties. 

“Where we have gotten to, the NPP government has ran the country into a ditch. The Finance Minister is a reckless driver. He has taken this country to a point of no return.

“In my local language, he is called ‘driver banza’. Let’s give this country to a competent hand. He has to step aside. 

“You can’t be the one to drive into a ditch, injure us and destroy our livelihood and say you are the one to take us out,” he said. 

Dr Ato Forson in an earlier interview with JoyNews also cast doubt on the country’s chances of securing an International Monetary Fund deal. 

According to him, the IMF bailout is at risk.

He said Ghana needs to give sufficient assurances that the country has taken steps to ensure its debts are sustainable.

According to him, the country as it stands now, has not been able to provide such an assurance, hence “the programme itself is at risk.”

“I can confidently see clearly that Ghana will not be in a position to get an IMF programme in the first quarter due to what is happening [mass rejection of DDE programme],” he said.