Following President Akufo-Addo’s reshuffle, many Ghanaians seem to have applauded the resignation of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
The majority and minority lawmakers had called for the embattled Minister’s head due to his mismanagement of the economy, and on Wednesday, the Minister was removed from his duties.
As word spreads, Franklin Cudjoe of IMANI Africa says the matter has been misinterpreted and that there hasn’t been a demotion.
He claims that the former Minister has been promoted to the point where “the Finance Ministry guys are essentially reduced to ‘goro boys,’ who are merely pushing papers.”
This follows the announcement that Mr. Ofori-Atta has been designated as the President’s Special Envoy for global financial markets and investment.
According to this portfolio, Mr. Cudjoe thinks that the former Finance Minister “will have a say in one way or another if you have to do any big ticket transformational deals.”
He claimed that this implied that Mr. Ofori-Atta, whom he compares to a “mafia don,” had been granted a larger role with less responsibility.
“Because, basically, what’s the point? When I provide a budget, I receive insults; when I tell them I won’t be visiting the IMF, I receive insults as well. When it comes to chess, I’ll probably stay in the back and play the role of grandmaster,” he continued.
In the interim, Mr. Ofori-Atta will serve as President Akufo-Addo’s Senior Presidential Advisor on all economic issues.
