Kojo Oppong Nkrumah Speaks After Long Silence: Information Minister Commends Gh¢21Bn Cut In 2023 Budget

• Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has broken his long silence on Monday after commenting on the 2023 mid-year budget review presented by finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta
• Nkrumah has for some time now stayed away from addressing the public in his official capacity as minister of information
• The minister is still yet to speak on the Cecilia Dapaah scandal, the allegation against Gabby Otchere Darko by Boakye Agyarko on the Ameri deal among others

After a long absence from the eye of the media in Ghana, information minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah spoke in Parliament on Monday, July 31, 2023, after the finance minister presented the 2023 mid-year budget review.

When he rose to speak on the floor of Parliament on Monday, he commended the finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta for reducing the government's appropriation for the 2023 fiscal year by Gh¢21 billion.

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"I think that it [the reduction] is something that should give people some comfort that we are doing well to stay within the deficit constraints that we have imposed upon ourselves," he said.

Oppong Nkrumah went silent for a long time

Social media has for some time now been inundated with cynical posts about Kojo Oppong Nkrumah's absence from the media eye in the wake of scandals that have hit the Akufo-Addo administration.

Although the minister posts on his personal social media handles, especially Twitter, about his personal projects, he seldom speaks on radio or TV programmes on national issues like he used to do.

A recent article sought to suggest that the minister and NPP MP for Ofoase Ayeebi has been deliberately avoiding communication on the numerous controversies that have hit the government and its officials hard.

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"Some claim the Minister may be attempting to 'appear clean' by avoiding direct communication about the government's numerous scandals," the article noted.

Oppong Nkrumah missing in action in Cecilia Dapaah and Boakye Agyarko issues

Recently, some Ghanaians took to social media to demand the whereabouts of the minister in the wake of the alleged theft of millions of Ghana cedis, dollars, and euros from the residence of former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah.

Amid the critical comments against the government, the minister has kept mute.

The only thing he did was to direct District Information Officers to produce a situational report on the public's reaction to the matter.

Not long ago, former energy minister Boakye Agyarko dropped a bombshell when he alleged that President Nana Akufo-Addo's government and a stalwart of the NPP Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko renegotiated the Ameri agreement on the blindside of the government-appointed committee.

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The minister is yet to comment on that matter, despite bashing the Akufo-Addo government received.

Oppong Nkrumah and the government's silence on these two recent issues and many others in the past is so unusual that popular broadcaster Randy Abbey lamented bitterly.

"Mr Boakye Agyarko revives the Ameri issues by making significant revelations and accusations against the president, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, and other individuals. I have not yet seen or read the government's response. We have not yet received a response after approximately two weeks. In fact, he was the campaign manager for the then-candidate (Akufo-Addo), is a senior member of the NPP, and has been vetted and authorised to run for president.

"He is saying these things while pointing to the president and others and mentioning their names. We are aware of the controversy surrounding this entire Ameri transaction, including the issue of executive approval...corruption, insider trading, and others. Now this individual makes all of these accusations, and it seems as if no one wants to speak with them," he said.

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A livid Randy Abbey posed the following questions to no one in particular:

"What are we to conclude from that? Are we expected to embrace what he said as the truth and live accordingly? Or, if he is spreading falsehoods, shouldn't something be done?"

Two more persons arrested over Cecilia Dapaah's stolen cash

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported that two more people have been arrested in connection with the theft of large amounts of money from the former sanitation minister's home.

Five persons had already been picked up in connection with the theft.

The money stolen from the minister is listed as $1 million, €300,000 and an undisclosed amount of Ghana.

Source: YEN.com.gh