Parliament turned into a political battleground on Friday when the prolonged absence of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta resurfaced during debate on the 2026 Budget, triggering a dramatic exchange between the Majority, Minority and the Minister for Local Government.
The confrontation began when Local Government and Rural Development Minister, Ahmed Ibrahim, questioned why Ofori-Atta had failed to return to Ghana after leaving office.
“Mr. Speaker, where is our former Finance Minister? After their tenure, all past finance ministers remained in this country. So where is he?” he demanded repeatedly.
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Citing Kwabena Duffuor, Baah-Wiredu and Yaw Osafo-Maafo as examples, Ahmed Ibrahim insisted Ofori-Atta’s disappearance was not a trivial matter. He argued that past ministers who presented budgets to Parliament never fled the jurisdiction.
The comments, however, infuriated Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who shot to his feet, invoking Standing Order 123, accusing Ahmed Ibrahim of impugning the integrity of the former minister.
Afenyo-Markin insisted, “Let us be fair. Ken Ofori-Atta did not refuse to come to Ghana. He has publicly released his medical records, his doctors confirmed he was booked for surgery and needed extended recovery.”
Afenyo-Markin recounted that Ofori-Atta, through his lawyers, informed both Parliament and the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) that he was undergoing surgery in the United States.
“These are medical issues, and it can be any of us tomorrow. The man has made his medical records public. Let us be fair,” he warned.
But Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga was having none of it. He reminded the House that Afenyo-Markin had earlier promised to produce Ofori-Atta in Parliament, an undertaking he insists was abandoned.
“He stood here and promised to bring Ken Ofori-Atta by July. I warned him not to promise what he couldn’t deliver. Today, he denies it. But he said it,” Ayariga said.
Then he delivered the most explosive jab of the afternoon: “Ken Ofori-Atta was sick when he was Finance Minister. We all saw it. But he stayed in this country because it was sweet to be a Finance Minister.”
“How come that today, when the law enforcement agencies are looking for him, he suddenly cannot live in this country due to illness?”
The comment triggered uproar, with Minority MPs shouting back: “He is not pretending to be sick!” “You can’t treat a fellow citizen like that!”
Despite the distraction, the central question lingers: Is Ken Ofori-Atta legitimately recovering abroad, or avoiding the OSP?