The vote of censure against the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, was mishandled from the onset and eventually botched due to a lack of consensus among the members of parliament (MPs). The motion was moved by Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Tuesday, May 4, 2021.
The motion was predicated on the assertion that the minister had failed to adhere to the principles of transparency and accountability expected of him by the public. The motion also sought to have the minister explain the circumstances surrounding the Agyapa Royalties deal and other financial decisions taken by the government.
The debate on the motion was initially supposed to be held on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 but was eventually postponed due to a lack of consensus among the MPs. The majority of the MPs, who were in support of the motion, wanted the debate to be heard on the same day while others wanted it to be held at a later date.
This disagreement led to the postponement of the debate and eventually the entire motion. Later, a statement issued by the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, indicated that the motion had been withdrawn in view of the fact that there was no consensus among the MPs on the matter.
However, many have argued that the entire process was mishandled from the onset. The MPs were given limited time to debate the motion and the speaker failed to ensure that the debate went on as planned. It is believed that if the speaker had been more proactive, the motion could have been passed.
Moreover, the lack of consensus among the MPs on the matter also led to the motion being stalled. It is believed that if the MPs had been able to come to a consensus on the matter, the motion could have been passed.
The botched vote of censure against the Finance Minister has been widely criticized by many who feel that the minister should have been held accountable for his actions. The motion could have been used to ensure that the minister was held to account for his actions and that the government was held to account for its financial decisions.
In conclusion, the botched vote of censure against the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, is a clear indication that the process was mishandled from the onset and eventually botched due to a lack of consensus among the MPs. This is a clear indication that the MPs need to come to a consensus on matters of national importance in order to ensure that the government is held to account for its actions and decisions.