Yesterday, the country witnessed what in contemporary local politics was a rare occurrence though in democracy, not a breach.
The President was asked to sack his Finance Minister in whom he has confidence and a demand he would rather had not been put forth.
With eighty MPs on the majority aisle demanding that the President acquiesce to their ‘sack demand’, matters appear to have hit the lid. Never has he been so pushed to take a decision by his own Honourable members who are representing Ghanaians of their constituencies.
We do not think that our President is not the listening type. If our thinking is erroneous, then we are only learning that.
In the midst of the storm occasioned by the value dropping of the Cedi, some asked whether or not the MPs tried to engage with the President outside the glare of the media. It has turned out that they did but the engagement was not yielding fruits hence this ultimatum.
Of course, nobody is disputing the President’s powers of taking decisions on behalf of the citizenry. This is particularly so during normal times. We are, however, not in normal times.
Our MPs have a duty to help the President by letting him know the situation on the ground. Where their decisions are needed to effect positive changes in the direction of the country they must do so.
Yesterday’s ultimatum to the President, which had the unusual support of the minority, for us, is the majority wish which the President must listen to at this time of our economic turbulence.
As we pointed out earlier in an editorial, a restoration of confidence in the economy can only come about with the adoption of drastic measures which include listening to the MPs and letting go some appointees.
In the unlikely event of the President not listening to the MPs, and for that matter majority of Ghanaians, governance will stall, a situation which would not inure to the integrity of government. This is something we should avoid by all means.
The NPP is, unlike the others ,and this evidence is being played out by the action of the MPs who would go down in the political history of this country as a group of Ghanaians representing their people, joining hands to demand a direction from the President as a means of ameliorating a bad situation.
The MPs have showed by their action that they belong to a political grouping which understands and appreciates democracy and service to their people.
The majority MPs, who have taken this stance, are more than one person. They all cannot be wrong and one person right.
The President should not show signs of intransigence or even obstinacy under the circumstances. A day after the MPs’ demand, we should hear from our President as he goes with the demand of the MPs which, as it were, represents the voice of the people. Vox populi, vox dei.