I WON’T SACK KEN OFORI-ATTA, HIS PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN EXCELLENT – President Akufo-Addo

President Nana Akufo-Addo has rejected calls to relieve Finance Minister, Ken Ofori, from his position, asserting that he cannot turn his back on the man who helped his government to achieve an average growth rate of 7% a year in the past.

According to him, Mr. Ofori-Atta has performed excellently and that he should be blamed solely for the government’s decision to seek support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

He explained the decision was not borne out of the mismanagement of the economy.

“I came to office in 2017 when we were under an IMF programme. This same Ken Ofori-Atta was able to manage the economy for the first three to four years. We were then one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. We had an average growth rate of 7% a year.

“For someone who has been able to do all these, how do I turn my back on him? For me, his performance has been excellent. That is why I have great difficulty in understanding what is going on,” the President told Kumasi-based OTEC FM yesterday.

He said the Finance Minister cannot be blamed for the current economic woes of the country, pointing out, “It is very easy for people to say we went back to the IMF due to mismanagement of the economy.”

“I do not accept that criticism because the reasons why we got into the situation we find ourselves in has very little to do with us. In fact, the IMF confirmed this,” President Akufo-Addo posited.

He stated that the IMF decision was a difficult one taken by the government, and added that it was a bitter pill to get over with the economic challenges, saying, “I am the head of the government and I take full responsibility for it.”

Reshuffle

The President said he believed in the competence and capability of his ministers, and intimated that there was no need to replace any of them.

According to him, the needed reshuffle was done when he carried out new appointments at the beginning of his second term.

President Akufo-Addo noted that his current appointees were delivering to his satisfaction, and therefore, he had no cause to sack any of them from office.

“I don’t appoint my ministers because I love them. I appoint them based on their competence and their determination to work for our country to be transformed,” he pinned.

The President said his resolve to make corruption unattractive in his administration remained intact, asserting that he had strengthened the various anti-graft institutions to fight the canker.

He pointed out that some corrupt state officials were currently facing prosecution, and added that he would not shield anyone found to be corrupt in his administration.

The President reiterated that the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme would not be affected by the programme with the IMF.

He said the government was working to revert the double-track system to a single-track system.