Ofori-Atta committed perjury, his consensus approval bad - Ade Coker

Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Mr Ade Coker has expressed concerns about the consensus approval of Mr Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister by the Appointments Committee of Parliament.

According to him, Mr Ofori-Atta committed several perjuries during his screening by the Committee, a situation he believed made him unfit to have been approved by the Committee.

Mr Ade Coker told Dzifa Bampoh on the First Take programme on 3FM Wednesday, March 31 that almost every well-meaning person did not expect Mr Ofori-Atta to have been approved by a consensus.

Explaining the reasons why some members of the NDC are livid after the vetting exercise and the subsequent approval, he said “All the appointments of the current administration have been very controversial.

“It started with the first batch of ministers who were approved especially when some members of our party voted for some who had been rejected.

“This controversy has been raging on for a long time, the Council of Elders of the NDC stepped in and we thought things have normalized. Then comes the minister for finance. We all observed that during his vetting he committed so many perjuries and did a lot of mistakes.

“The whole world wasn’t looking forward for him to be confirmed. I am not a member of the appointments committee but well-meaning people believed that the Finance Minister should not have been passed but after the vetting the parliamentarians passed him ion consensus. So kit comes to reason that people will be wondering what is going on in this country.”

Others believe that Mr Ofori-Atta’s approval was to enable him solve the problems that may have arisen as a result of some decisions he took as Finance Minister during the first administration of President Akufo-Addo.

But Ade Coker told Dzifa that “that will be very suicidal. Are you telling me that consequently if a government comes in and messes about, it should be let to continue till thy kingdom come?

“…look at all the state capture that has gone on. So naturally, people will not be happy. Otherwise, we can say that any government which comes and messes around we should give it another chance to continue messing up the country. So I don’t buy in that school of thought.

“He has just gone to borrow additional 3billion so the debt stock is going up so he should continue borrowing till thy kingdom come?”

The approval of all of President Akufo-Addo’s ministers has resulted in apprehension especially within the rank and file of the opposition NDC.

The woes of the party keep compounding following the resignation of MP for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa from the Appointments Committee of Parliament.

Mr Ablakwa said in a letter dated Tuesday, March 30 and addressed to the Speaker, Alban Kingsford Bagbin that the decision was taken “after days of careful reflection and thoughtful considerations”.

“I shall like to state that the reasons for this difficult decision are both personal and on principle.”