Ken Ofori-Atta, Finance Minister-designate
Finance Minister-designate Ken Ofori-Atta says he is recovering well, and his doctors are surprised at his recovery.
This, he has attributed to prayers and Goppd saying, God has been good to him.
“For me personally, I guess I would want to reiterate how merciful the Lord has been to me and also grateful for the prayer support from my family. The challenge is my post-COVID-19 symptoms. It is in the Bible that says Peter, therefore, was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing for the church and for him and I have felt how God miraculously delivered Peter from prison because the saints prayed for him”, Mr. Ofori-Atta said in a virtual post-budget forum organised by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
President Akufo-Addo has appointed the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu as the caretaker-Minister for Finance.
The appointment was communicated in a letter from President Akufo-Addo to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.
President Akufo-Addo indicated that the Suame legislator, who is currently the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, will handle the Finance Ministry as a temporary additional responsibility.
This comes at a time when the Minister-designate for the sector, Ken Ofori-Atta remains in the United States on medical leave over Covid-19 complications, according to the government.
“I write respectfully to inform you that, pursuant to Order 140 Rules 2 and 3, of the Standing Orders of Parliament, I have assigned temporarily responsibility for the Ministry of Finance to the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Member of Parliament for Suame,” the letter, as read by Alban Bagbin said.
Minister-designate of Trade and Industry Alan Kyerematen could be delivering the 2021 government budget statement in Parliament on 12 March, sources at the Office of the President have told Asaase News.
Popularly known as Alan Cash, the minister-designate is expected to be sworn into office soon by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Traditionally, it is the Minister for Finance who does the presentation of the annual budget statement on behalf of the government, however, Ken Ofori-Atta, who is the president’s representative at the ministry is yet to be vetted by Parliament’s Appointments Committee due to ill-health.
Ofori-Atta is currently in Minnesota, USA, undergoing treatment for post-COVID-19 complications.