President Nana Akufo-Addo is under intense pressure to make major changes to his cabinet, as rumours and speculations swirl about a possible ministerial reshuffle.
According to a tweet by Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, the president is being pushed to:
- Sacrifice Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to bolster Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia at the polls;
- Accept Energy Minister Matthew Opoku Prempeh as running mate to Bawumia despite resistance;
- Axe some top ministers considered aloof by grassroots folks.
But Mr Simons believes that “this President hates pressure”.
The tweet, which has sparked a lot of reactions online, reflects the growing discontent and dissatisfaction with some of the president’s appointees, especially the finance minister, who has been accused of mismanaging the economy and plunging the country into hardship.
Ofori-Atta, who is a cousin of the president, has faced several calls to resign from both the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and some members of his own party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He has also been the target of protests and petitions, demanding accountability and transparency in his handling of public funds.
Some of the controversial policies and decisions that have tainted his reputation include:
- The introduction of the 1.5% E-levy tax on electronic transactions, which has been met with widespread resistance and criticism from various stakeholders, including traders, consumers, civil society groups, and even some MPs from the ruling party.
- The alleged unconstitutional withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund for the construction of the National Cathedral, which has been challenged in court by some citizens and civil society groups.
- The alleged illegal payments of oil revenues into offshore accounts, which have been questioned by the minority in parliament and some anti-corruption campaigners.
- The alleged deliberate and dishonest misreporting of economic data to parliament, which has been exposed by some economists and analysts.
Ofori-Atta’s performance and credibility have also been affected by the poor state of the economy, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, high inflation, depreciation of the cedi, rising debt, and low revenue.
However, the president has so far shown no signs of losing confidence in his finance minister and has defended him on several occasions.
But the pressure on the president to make changes to his cabinet is not only coming from the opposition but also from some members of his own party, who are concerned about the impact of the current situation on their electoral fortunes.
