I was battered and broken.. – Ofori-Atta reacts to #KenMustGo

Ken Ofori-Atta, the finance minister, claims that when President Nana Akufo-Addo demanded that he be fired or resign, he felt devastated and let down.

Mr. Ofori-Atta stated in an exclusive interview with GTV on Sunday, August 6, that despite being bruised and shattered during those protests, he just had one responsibility to carry out: to remain on and help his beloved nation get out of its economic rut.

He asserted that there was no escaping during this time and that only the brave and daring would continue and fight.

The democratic system of the nation was riddled with demands for his ouster.

“In the period of censure, in which Parliament then voted against it, but more importantly, you were in a situation where you were battered and broken.

“And do not leave a ship at that time, and given the urgency of ensuring the IMF programme will get through, for me it was a duty to serve, and there was no running away from it,” Mr Ofori-Atta said.

However, Mr. Ofori-Atta pointed out that as a public figure, people had the right to call for his dismissal.

The year 2022, according to the finance minister, will be his worst year as finance minister.

He claimed that the relevant year forced him to make “difficult but necessary decisions” for the revival of the Ghanaian economy.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout request was one of the major decisions made, according to the Finance Minister.

He argued that such a step would not have been made if it weren’t for the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak and the Russia-Ukraine war.

“Mr Speaker, 2022 was the most difficult year for me as Ghana’s Finance Minister. On July 1st, 2022, we took what was then a very difficult but necessary decision to request support from the IMF to implement our Post-COVID-19 Program of Economic Growth (PC-PEG).

“The country was going through a dire period of economic uncertainties and despondency.”

The Finance Minister came under fire in 2022 when some New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmakers demanded his resignation, blaming him for the country’s economic woes.

Additionally, the National Democratic Congress filed a censure petition calling for his dismissal due to things like blatant ineptitude and a conflict of interest.

The majority staged a walkout during the vote to have him fired.