{"id":1255719,"date":"2022-11-22T12:25:29","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T12:25:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/11\/22\/ofori-atta-likely-to-face-empty-house-if-he-insists-on-reading-2023-budget\/"},"modified":"2022-11-22T12:25:29","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T12:25:29","slug":"ofori-atta-likely-to-face-empty-house-if-he-insists-on-reading-2023-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/11\/22\/ofori-atta-likely-to-face-empty-house-if-he-insists-on-reading-2023-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Ofori-Atta likely to face empty House if he insists on reading 2023 Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"\"
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

JoyNews<\/strong>\u00a0has reported that Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, will face an unprecedented situation if he attempts to present the budget on Thursday. <\/p>\n

Both Majority and Minority members are likely to abandon the Chamber making it impossible for him to have the constitutional quorum required to proceed with the budget presentation.<\/p>\n

Despite facing a censure motion moved by the Minority to oust him and coming up against 98 members of the majority side who also want him removed, Mr Ofori-Atta told\u00a0JoyNews\u00a0<\/strong>last week that he will still present the 2023 budget this week.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

According to him, he has not been officially notified not to read the budget.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I expect so. I haven\u2019t heard that officially (NPP MP\u2019s opposition) so I expect to read it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

But the 98 NPP MPs say they will boycott the budget presentation if Mr, Ofori-Atta is still in charge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve gone back to (our demand for the President to) sack him now and therefore should the budget be presented under the stamp of the Finance Minister, we\u2019ll not participate because as far as we\u2019re concerned we\u2019re never going to do business with him,\u201d said Asante Akim North MP and spokesperson for the disenchanted Majority MPs, Andy Appiah-Kubi.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if we\u2019re not going to do business with him, he does not participate in any process from the Presidency to the House. We will not participate in deliberations too,\u201d the NPP MP said.<\/p>\n

Speaking in an interview on\u00a0JoyNews\u2019 PM Express<\/strong>\u00a0on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, Andy Appiah-Kubi said the only way the President will get them to participate in the budget presentation and appropriation is if someone else from government is appointed to present the budget.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not saying we won\u2019t do President\u2019s business. We\u2019re saying we won\u2019t do President\u2019s business through Ofori-Atta. So if anybody else comes with President\u2019s business, we\u2019ll participate,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

JoyNews has also reported the NDC side will join their Majority colleagues to stage the walkout if their vote of censure fails. <\/p>\n

A constitutional quorum then arises, making it impossible for him to proceed with the presentation.<\/p>\n

ALSO READ:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ofori-Atta to present 2023 budget; says he is \u2018unaware\u2019 of NPP MPs\u2019 threats<\/strong><\/p>\n

98 NPP MPs react to Ofori-Atta\u2019s response to threat to boycott budget<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ofori-Atta will meet an empty Chamber if\u2026 \u2013 NPP MP [Audio]<\/h3>\n

\u201cThe President had the option to either sack him or per the censorship motion or otherwise but the key question is, if he fails to sack him, Parliament can also fail to recognise him,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n