Ayariga, Afenyo-Markin clash in parliament over Ofori-Atta’s US residency reports

A heated exchange erupted in Parliament between Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin over former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s reported acquisition of permanent residency status in the United States.

The debate followed reports by lawyers representing Mr. Ofori-Atta that a court in the United States had granted his application for permanent residency, a development that has intensified political discussions surrounding his absence from Ghana amid ongoing public scrutiny of his tenure as Finance Minister.

Raising the matter on the floor of Parliament, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga accused the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) of failing to fulfil earlier assurances that Mr. Ofori-Atta would return to Ghana to answer questions regarding his stewardship of the country's economy.

According to Mr. Ayariga, members of the Minority had previously indicated their willingness to facilitate the former minister’s return if concerns arose about his conduct while in office.

“In the not-too-distant future, when the economy has been stabilised, if you are able to get the former finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to come back to Ghana and account for all that he has taken out of the country, why?” he questioned.

The Majority Leader further reminded the Minority of what he described as commitments made in Parliament regarding Mr. Ofori-Atta’s return.

“You even promised to bring Ken Ofori-Atta to this country. You promised us in this chamber that you would bring Ken Ofori-Atta to Ghana. We didn’t ask you, but you promised us,” he said.

Mr. Ayariga expressed concern over reports that the former Finance Minister had secured permanent residency in the United States, suggesting that the development could complicate efforts to have him return to Ghana.

“Now we are told that he has obtained permanent residency in the United States. A former finance minister running away from his country. And you sit there, and you want to complain about a government that is just one and a half years in office, fixing the mess of people like that,” he stated.

The Majority Leader argued that if Mr. Ofori-Atta had nothing to hide, he should willingly return to Ghana and respond to concerns surrounding his period in office.

“If he has nothing to fear, he should man up and come back to this country and come and defend himself,” he added.

However, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin strongly rejected the remarks, accusing the Majority Leader of making serious allegations against an individual who was not present to defend himself.

“We cannot bring Ken Ofori-Atta’s name here when the man is not here to defend himself and make serious allegations against him,” Mr. Afenyo-Markin said.

Calling for fairness and restraint in the debate, the Minority Leader stressed that the former Finance Minister deserved the same respect accorded to every Ghanaian citizen.

“He is a human being like you, a citizen like you. He also has children. He has his family. Be fair,” he urged.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin further criticised what he described as persistent attacks on Mr. Ofori-Atta, referencing previous incidents in Parliament where placards and demonstrations had been directed at the former minister.

“If you think that you have all your evidence, the court is yours. But don’t use this Parliament to launch an attack on Ken Ofori-Atta. He came to serve. If you have any issues with his service, deal with it,” he stated.

The exchange intensified when Mr. Ayariga insisted that the opposition party should be held accountable for the actions and whereabouts of the former Finance Minister, arguing that he had been nominated and defended by the NPP throughout his tenure.

“Ghanaians should demand of the NPP that if they don’t produce Ken Ofori-Atta in this country, they should never come before them asking for power again,” he said.

He further accused Mr. Ofori-Atta of mismanaging the economy during his time in office and questioned how the opposition could seek public trust again without addressing concerns surrounding his administration.

“Because you presented him to this Parliament as your nominee for Finance Minister, and we approved him as a nominee for Finance Minister and gave him our economy to manage, and he mismanaged it and ran away. And you want to go back to Ghanaians and ask Ghanaians to give you power again, so that you will bring another Ken Ofori-Atta to mismanage the economy and run to Europe,” Mr. Ayariga argued.

The sharp exchanges underscore the continuing political tensions surrounding Mr. Ofori-Atta’s legacy as Finance Minister and the broader debate over accountability for Ghana’s recent economic challenges. The issue is likely to remain a major point of contention between the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the months ahead.