President John Dramani Mahama today, Friday, February 27, delivered the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SoNA) but one of the highlights of the presentation was how the name of former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta surfaced on the floor of Parliament.
Although the ceremony was successful, it did not end without some drama from the Members of Parliament (MPs).
As known of parliamentarians, the two sides took the opportunity to throw jabs here and there with the Majority side, climaxing the day by blandishing images of the former Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, in an unexpected fashion.
The former minister left the shores of Ghana in January 2025, few weeks after the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lost the 2024 general election.
Even though he informed the out-going and in-coming governments about his trip to the United States (US), to seek medical care, he promised to come back the same month of January. Strangely, he has since remained in that country.
The latest is that, he since last year over stayed and so he has been arrested and detained ICE officials. He is facing the laws of that country for one, over staying and secondly the request by the Ghanaian government to extradite him back to Ghana.
Reports have said that, Ofori-Atta, one of the longest serving finance ministers, does not intend to willingly come back to Ghana. Ostensible due to the charges that have been levelled against him, stemming from his work as finance minister.
He is already being tried together with others in absentia.
Even though the laws allow for him to be tried while away, the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) says, they want him in person.
And so on the second edition of the presentation of SoNA, the majority held a black and white artistic impression of the former minister, asking that the minority side brings him to face justice.
While they stood, the MPs held the paper and chanted, asking the whereabouts of Ofori-Atta? As they continued to chant, the minority also chanted back.
Minority came to the Chamber with cocoa pod each, chanting that the president is a promise breaker.
Their main concern was the reduction of a bag of cocoa which has been slashed over GHc1000 due to the crash in the price on the international price.
Speaking to the media, some of the minority MPs admitted that some economic indicators appear positive and pointing to the right direction on paper, they are yet to translate into pockets as prices of goods are still expensive.
By Gifty Boateng