President Akufo-Addo expresses confidence in Finance Minister… parries criticism from section of public
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed confidence in the performance of his Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, despite growing discontent over his performance by some Ghanaians.
In an interview with Obaatanpa Radio, a radio station based in Kasoa in the Central Region as part of his two-day tour of the Central Region, the President said he was satisfied with the performance of Mr Ofori-Atta.
Mr Ofori-Atta, the longest serving Finance Minister in the history of the Fourth Republic, has received public backlash over his handling of the country’s economy.
With the introduction of the controversial electronic levy, the high cost of fuel, and the poor performance of the country’s currency, the finance minister’s performance has been called to question by some Ghanaians.
President Akufo-Addo credited the finance minister with the success of his first term in office before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and its ramification on the country’s economy.
“This same Finance Minister who people are calling for his blood is the very man who took us very successfully out of the IMF programme and helped us produce the seven percent rates of growth that we had before the COVID.”
“I believe that he has the same determination to work us out of this crisis as he showed at the beginning of our government,” the President said.
On calls for him to reshuffle his ministers to introduce fresh ideas, President Akufo-Addo said reshuffle of ministers was not needed to address the current challenges.
“When I am satisfied or someone is doing his work well or not doing his work well, I will act on it. If I am satisfied that the output is still strong, I will know what to do,” he said.
The President, after the interview on the radio station, inspected work on a Court Complex at Kasoa in the Awutu Senya East constituency.
He interacted with traditional authorities and people of the region, inaugurated projects, inspected ongoing ones and cut the sod for the commencement of new projects.
He paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Awutu at AwutuBreku, inspected work on the Kasoa-Bawjiase road and inaugurated a one district-one factory, a Gas cylinder factory in Chochoe.
President Akufo-Addo inaugurated another 1D1F factory project, a lubricant factory at Fetteh in the Gomoa East district and inspected an agenda 111 hospital facility at GomoaAfransi in the Gomoa Central district.
Today, President Akufo-Addo is expected to call on the chief of Komenda and inspect the Komenda Sugar Factory, pay a courtesy call on the chief of Elmina and inspect the construction of the fishing harbour at Elmina all in the Komenda-Edina-EguafoAbrem municipality.
Later in the day, President Akufo-Addo will inspect work on the infectious disease centre at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, inaugurate the office complex of the Central Regional House of Chiefs and join the chiefs and people of Cape Coast for the durbar to climax the FetuAfahye to end his visit.
BY YAW KYEI
