Minority’s censure motion against Ofori-Atta fails 

The Minority in Parliament have failed in their attempt to remove Ken Ofori-Atta from office.

The censure motion against Finance Minister failed to meet the required number of votes required to succeed.

The motion, which was debated on Thursday and subsequently voted on, had only the Minority members being present to vote.

All 136 Members of the majority caucus of Parliament staged a walkout ahead of a secret vote on the censure.

The proponents of the motion needed the votes of 183 legislators to have the motion passed against Mr. Ofori-Atta.

After contributing to the debate, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Majority Leader, led the walkout, saying “they cannot be part of a process that was baseless and politically motivated,” he said.

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, in his address, said the censure motion by the Minority caucus was out of bad faith and only sought to embarrass the Finance Minister.

The NPP MPs described the Minority’s action as one in futility and not adhering to the Constitution as their numbers lack the constitutional mandate to form a quorum.

In his defence, on the floor of Parliament, Mr Ofori-Atta rejected the allegations of conflict of interest and gross mismanagement of the economy levelled against him by the Minority caucus in Parliament.

He said: “Mr Speaker, I have done nothing wrong and describe the allegations against me as witch-hunting.”

“If I say I am innocent the Minority won’t believe me and if I ask for the truth and proof, they won’t be able to provide it. I have committed no crime,” Mr Ofori-Atta said

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin ruling on the vote said the Minority MPs did not meet the Constitutional threshold of 183 MPs, thus two-thirds of members of the House.

“In accordance with article 83(1) which reads; Parliament may by a resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of all the MPs pass a vote of censure on the Minister for State. Following the terms of Article 82 (1) the vote is accordingly lost,” he said on the floor.

Dr. Dominic Ayine, the co-Chairman of the ad-hoc committee that probed claims in a censure motion filed against the Finance Minister has claimed that unassailable evidence of misconduct has been established against Ken Ofori-Atta.

According to him, even though Mr Ofori-Atta was exonerated on some allegations levelled against him, evidence discovered during the committee hearing is enough for the Minister to be removed.

However, KT Hammond, a co-chair of the committee disagreed and said they did not find a single piece of evidence to warrant the claims made against Ken Ofori-Atta.

“The committee was not able to come out with any findings.