{"id":1245525,"date":"2022-11-07T08:51:59","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T08:51:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/11\/07\/debate-on-censure-to-remove-finance-minister-ofori-atta-begins-thursday\/"},"modified":"2022-11-07T08:51:59","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T08:51:59","slug":"debate-on-censure-to-remove-finance-minister-ofori-atta-begins-thursday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/11\/07\/debate-on-censure-to-remove-finance-minister-ofori-atta-begins-thursday\/","title":{"rendered":"Debate on censure to remove Finance Minister Ofori-Atta begins Thursday"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n\"Debate<\/p>\n

\nDebate on censure to remove Finance Minister Ofori-Atta begins Thursday <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Parliament\u00a0<\/span>will on\u00a0<\/span>Thursday, November 10,\u00a0<\/span>2022, begin the debate on\u00a0<\/span>the motion of censure filed\u00a0<\/span>by the Minority Leader,\u00a0<\/span>Haruna Iddrisu, for the\u00a0<\/span>removal of the Minister of Finance, Ken\u00a0<\/span>Ofori-Atta.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Presenting the Business Statement\u00a0<\/span>for the week on the floor of Parliament\u00a0<\/span>last Friday, the Majority Leader, Osei\u00a0<\/span>Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, said the debate on\u00a0<\/span>whether the Minister of Finance should\u00a0<\/span>go or not remained a key feature for the\u00a0<\/span>week.<\/span><\/p>\n

Motion of Censure<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

The motion of censure was filed last\u00a0<\/span>week Monday by the Minority Leader,\u00a0<\/span>Haruna Iddrisu, for the removal of the\u00a0<\/span>Finance Minister.<\/span><\/p>\n

The motion is embedded with a\u00a0<\/span>seven-point allegation as grounds for\u00a0<\/span>the removal of the minister.<\/span><\/p>\n

Among the seven-point allegations\u00a0<\/span>embedded in the motion are a\u00a0<\/span>despicable conflict of interest ensuring\u00a0<\/span>that the minister directly benefits from\u00a0<\/span>Ghana’s economic woes as his\u00a0<\/span>companies receive commissions and\u00a0<\/span>other unethical contractual advantage,\u00a0<\/span>particularly from Ghana’s debt\u00a0<\/span>overhang.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, the motion alleged an\u00a0<\/span>unconstitutional withdrawal from the\u00a0<\/span>Consolidated Fund in blatant\u00a0<\/span>contravention of Article 178 of the 1992\u00a0<\/span>Constitution supposedly for the\u00a0<\/span>construction of the National <\/span>Cathedral.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moreover, illegal payment of oil\u00a0<\/span>revenue into offshore accounts in\u00a0<\/span>flagrant violation of Article 176 of the<\/span>1992 Constitution.<\/span><\/p>\n

Majority\u2019s objection<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since the motion was filed, the\u00a0<\/span>Majority in Parliament has raised a\u00a0<\/span>preliminary objection on the motion of\u00a0<\/span>censure, saying the full facts needed to\u00a0<\/span>be made available to the minister in\u00a0<\/span>order not to spring surprises on him.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Deputy Majority Leader,\u00a0<\/span>Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin,\u00a0<\/span>who raised the objection, said the\u00a0<\/span>manner in which the motion was\u00a0<\/span>crafted was unfair to Mr Ofori-Atta,\u00a0<\/span>insisting that the full facts needed to be\u00a0<\/span>made available to him in order for him\u00a0<\/span>to properly appreciate the facts and\u00a0<\/span>respond appropriately.<\/span><\/p>\n

Article 82<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to Article 82 of the 1992\u00a0<\/span>Constitution, Parliament may, by a<\/span>re solution supported by the votes of not\u00a0<\/span>less than two-thirds of all the members\u00a0<\/span>of Parliament, pass a vote of censure on\u00a0<\/span>a Minister of State.<\/span><\/p>\n

A motion for the resolution referred\u00a0<\/span>to in clause (1) of this article shall not be\u00a0<\/span>moved in Parliament unless-seven days’\u00a0<\/span>notice has been given of the motion;\u00a0<\/span>and the notice for the motion has been\u00a0<\/span>signed by not less than one-third of all\u00a0<\/span>the members of Parliament.<\/span><\/p>\n

The motion shall be debated in\u00a0<\/span>Parliament within 14 days after the\u00a0<\/span>receipt by the Speaker of the notice for\u00a0<\/span>the motion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Questions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said a total of\u00a0<\/span>seven Ministers of State are expected to\u00a0<\/span>appear before the House in the course of\u00a0<\/span>the week to respond to 46 questions.<\/span><\/p>\n

They are made up of seven urgent\u00a0<\/span>and 72 oral questions.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n