In a surprising turn of events, Deputy Finance Minister Abena Osei-Asare faced strong criticism on November 16, as she allegedly chose to attend the funeral of the late First Lady, Theresa Kufuor, over defending the 2024 fiscal year budget on Peace FM’s Kokrookoo morning show.
The Minister of Finance had presented the budget to Parliament on November 15, aiming to restore investor confidence and comply with IMF conditions to boost economic growth and reduce inflation. In the aftermath, various experts and spokespersons were invited by news outlets to dissect and explain the budget to the public.
Peace FM had scheduled Abena Osei-Asare to appear on the Kokrookoo morning show with Kwami Sefa Kayi on November 16. However, the production team claimed that she arrived at the studio at 9:20 am instead of the agreed-upon time of 9 am, and then requested to leave early to attend the funeral at the State House.
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Kwami Sefa Kyei expressed his disappointment on air, stating, “In fact, we gave her 9 am, so that she come on air at 9:30, but she came at 9:20 and asked to leave.” The panellists on the show did not hold back, chastising the deputy minister for prioritizing a funeral over her responsibility to defend and explain the budget to the citizens.
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Atik Mohammed, one of the panellists, voiced his frustration, saying, “It is your responsibility to defend and explain the budget you presented to Ghanaians. We have paid you to do that, and you rather choose to attend a funeral. We pay you to do your job. And this is part of your job.”
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The absence of a government representative on such a crucial platform was lamented, with Atik Mohammed describing it as “such a shame.” The incident has sparked a debate on the priorities of government officials and their commitment to fulfilling their duties, especially in critical moments such as budget defense discussions.
As Ghanaians await further developments, this incident serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between public service responsibilities and personal obligations for government officials.
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