Kufuor Denies Inviting MPs Demanding Ofori Atta’s Head

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has denied extending an invitation for a meeting with the 98 New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament demanding the resignation or dismissal of Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta.

According to the Office of the former President, the publication is false and must be disregarded.

“The Office of Former President John Kufuor has chanced upon some publications in the media, both social and electronic, to the effect that the former President has extended an invitation for a meeting with him to the almost a hundred NPP members of Parliament who are demanding the sack of the finance minister, ostensibly to dissuade them from their stance.

“We wish to bring to the attention of the general public that there is no truth to the said publications”, a press statement from the Office signed by Senior aide to Kufuor, Kwabena Osei-Adubofour noted.

Last week, the Office denied an allegation to the effect that the former President had forfeited six months of his salary to help the country out of the current economic turbulence.

The Office in its recent statement registered its displeasure at the developing trends.

“The Office of the former President vehemently detests the developing trend in disinformation that mischievously seeks to draw President Kufuor into issues that he has not commented on”.

It added that the President is concerned about the developments in the country and is therefore doing what he can in his own way to help the country.

It concluded, “at any time Mr Kufour deems it fit to comment publicly on national issues, he would not hesitate to do so. But he would definitely not be drawn in on other people’s terms and agenda.”

A letter purportedly from the office of the former President with the date October 11, 22 and addressed to the Chief of Staff of President Akufo-Addo directed the latter to direct his salary for the next six months to the state due to the economic crisis.

“I want your office to suspend my six month salary as a former president of ghana to support the government of ghana during this global economic challenges caused by covid and russia ukraine attack as being reported by the world bank and the government,” a copy of the fake letter which housed an erroneous spellings of the name of the former President said.

But in a statement dated November 8, the former President through his senior aide said the communication is “fake” and must be treated with the needed contempt it deserves.

Mr Adubofuor, however, pointed out that a communication from the Office will “never” get the name of the former president wrongly inscribed on the fake letter.

He noted, “the Office wants to emphatically state that the reportage is fake and must be disregarded and should be treated with the contempt that it deserves.”

He further urged the public to make good use of the present avenues of communication.

Demand For Ofori Atta’s Head
On October 25, about 80 MPs on the Majority side openly demanded the removal or dismissal of the Finance Minister and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen over what they described as a downward trend in the growth of the economy.

“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 change the Minister for Finance and the Minister of State in the Finance Ministry without 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 Constituency, Andy Appiah Kubi, said at a presser in Parliament.

The Majority further threatened to boycott the government’s business and the budget hearing.

But at an emergency meeting between the aggrieved MPs and the President on October 25 evening, the MPs reportedly acceded to a plea by the President to have the Minister in post until he completes the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), presents the 2023 budget statement and the subsequent passage of the appropriation bill.

But reports now indicate that their number has increased to 95.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini