Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu says Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta must be blamed for the current high cost of living in the country.
Prices of goods and services have been on the rise recently while transportation fares have also increased more than four times due to the increase in fuel prices.
The country’s inflation rate currently stands at 40.4%, a level not witnessed ever in the country.
According to Mr. Iddrisu the government, amidst all these developments, has failed to take measures to abate the current hardship. Thus, the Finance Minister should be held responsible.
The Tamale South MP said this when he appeared as a witness before the 8-member Adhoc Committee hearing the censure motion against the Finance Minister on Tuesday.
“There is a cost of living crisis in Ghana, exacerbated by uncontrolled inflation and we think that the Honourable Minister for Finance must be held responsible for that. We are saying that someone must accept responsibility.
“Chairman, when we say the cost of living and hardship, we are also concerned about the investments of persons associated with pensions and even the financial viability of Ghana’s banking sector and the attempt to deal with it and we think that Ken Ofori-Atta must be held responsible for that,” he noted.
Meanwhile, the Legal representative for Ken Ofori-Atta, Gabby Otchere-Darko has demanded evidence to back the Minority’s allegations against the Minister.
The lawyer wants the Minority legislators to provide particulars to support their specific claims.
This, he says, will enable his client better assess the allegations based on which his removal is being pushed for.
For Mr Otchere-Darko, if this is not done, it will give room to the petitioners ambushing the embattled Minister with questions that may be outside the scope of the probe.
“If we are not careful, there will be surprises at every turn of the proceedings,” he added.