According to the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the manner in which the minister quickly changed the legal team that represented him during the recent vote of censure hearings before an ad hoc committee of parliament, should be enough for the president to learn from.
He explained that when Ken Ofori-Atta noticed how tensed a process it was, he quickly changed his legal team, only after the first day, and that is exactly what President Nana Akufo-Addo should do in replacing the minister.
“I believe that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has something very vital to learn from his cousin, the finance minister.
"The finance minister appeared before us on the first day with his lawyer, Gabby Otchere-Darko. When he came the third day, he had quickly changed him. He saw that the way things were; how turbulent it was, how bumpy it was, that was not the kind of counsel he needs so he quickly changed him and brought (sic).
“President Akufo-Addo should learn from his cousin; the finance minister, and change the finance minister. Just as he changed his lawyers when he saw that the legal team led by Gabby Otchere-Darko on day one, was a disaster, he quickly changed him because he knows his position is at stake,” he said.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP also explained that the president should be interested in learning from the example of his minister, who is also his cousin, because matters at hand have to do with the lives of every Ghanaians.
“Now, we are talking about lives; we are talking about livelihoods, we are talking about businesses, we are talking about people’s pensions, people’s life savings and you don’t want to learn from your cousin, the finance minister, who has shown you the way?” he said.
The vote of censure which was scheduled for Thursday, December 8, 2022, eventually failed as the Minority was not able to make up the needed numbers after their colleagues on the Majority side staged a walkout.
AE/WA
An old photo of Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and President Nana Akufo-Addo