Dr Gideon Boako, the Member of Parliament for Tano North Constituency in the Bono Region, has criticised Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Finance Minister-designate, for his performance during his vetting before the Appointments Committee. 

Speaking at a Minority press conference on Wednesday, 15 January, Dr Boako described Dr Forson’s responses as evasive, inconsistent, and lacking clarity of thought.  

"Hon. Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, who appeared as the Finance Minister-designate, was evasive, inconsistent, and lacked clarity of thought," Dr Boako remarked. 

"Having served as a Deputy Minister of Finance and a Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, one would have expected his answers to be forthright and to exude concrete solutions."  

Dr Boako specifically criticised Dr Forson’s response to questions regarding whether the government would fulfil its promise to cover the first-year tuition fees of tertiary students.

He expressed disappointment at the Finance Minister-designate’s inability to provide a definitive answer. 

"How can a Finance Minister-designate look into the faces of parents and young Ghanaian students and say that because he is not yet the Minister, he cannot answer whether the pledge by President Mahama to pay for their fees would be honoured?"  

According to Dr Boako, this response was a betrayal of trust for the young students and their families, who had been given assurances by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the election campaign. 

He concluded that Dr Forson’s performance during the vetting raised questions about his preparedness for the role and accused the NDC of deceiving the electorate.