Minority leader and Member of Parliament for Affutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has come to the defence of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta following recent comments made by Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga on the floor of Parliament.
Speaking during proceedings in Parliament on Wednesday, June 17, Afenyo-Markin criticized what he described as persistent attacks against the former finance minister, insisting that Ofori-Atta deserves fairness and the opportunity to respond to allegations levelled against him.
His remarks were in reaction to a statement made earlier by Majority Leader and Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga, who accused Ofori-Atta of fleeing the country after allegedly mismanaging the economy during the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
Ayariga had challenged the Minority caucus to honour what he said were earlier assurances that the former finance minister would return to Ghana to answer questions regarding his stewardship of the economy.
According to Ayariga, Ghanaians deserve accountability from Ofori-Atta over decisions taken during his tenure, especially at a time when the current government is working to stabilize the economy.
The Majority Leader also claimed that Ofori-Atta had reportedly secured permanent residency in the United States and questioned why he had failed to return home to address concerns surrounding his period in office.
But responding strongly on the floor of Parliament, Afenyo-Markin accused the Majority Leader of unfairly targeting the former finance minister and using Parliament as a platform to attack someone who was not present to defend himself.
“It is becoming one too many that the Majority Leader has made Ken Ofori-Atta his target,” he said.
The Affutu MP argued that principles of fairness and natural justice require that an individual be given the opportunity to respond to allegations made against them.
“With respect, my respected senior at the Bar knows that a man must be heard. You cannot bring Ken Ofori-Atta’s name here when the man is not here to defend himself and make serious allegations against him,” he stated.
Afenyo-Markin further questioned claims that the former finance minister had “taken away” resources from the country, insisting that such accusations must be proven rather than repeatedly stated in public.
“What has he taken away? He is a human being like you, a citizen like you. He also has children and a family. Be fair,” he appealed.
The Minority leader also accused the Majority caucus of focusing excessively on blaming the previous administration instead of addressing current economic challenges confronting the citizenry.
According to him, issues such as unemployment, rising electricity tariffs, and concerns from farmers remain unresolved under the current administration.
“If the Majority Leader has no answer to the struggling economy, then he should answer those specific questions and stop the blame game,” he said.
He further argued that if the government believes it has evidence of wrongdoing against Ofori-Atta, the appropriate avenue is the court system rather than political attacks in Parliament.
“As for Ken Ofori-Atta, if you think you have all your evidence, the court is there. Go ahead. Who has stopped you? But don’t use this Parliament to launch attacks on him,” he stressed.
The exchange between both leaders added to the growing political tensions between the Majority and Minority caucuses over the economic management of the country and the legacy of the previous NPP administration.
By 1960news.com
