Kobina Tahir Hammond, a former Minister for Trade and Industry, has detailed how he led the removal of Member of Parliament for Obuasi West, Kwaku Agyeman Kwarteng, as Chairman of the Finance Committee.
According to KT Hammond, Kwaku Kwarteng was removed as Chairman of Finance because of his disloyalty.
It will be recalled that in June 2024, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, announced the reassignment of Kwaku Kwarteng from the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament to the position of Chairman of the Economy Committee of the House.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, at the time, attributed the removal as a proactive move taken by the Majority ahead of the 2024 elections.
However, KT Hammond has revealed he led plans to remove Kwaku Agyeman Kwarteng after he openly opposed approving tax exemptions for companies under the government’s ‘One District, One Factory’ policy.
Speaking in an interview shared by Obuasi TV on Facebook on September 11, 2025, K.T. Hammond stated, “Listen, do you think I am happy with everything that we did during our time in government? When things are happening and you are not happy about them, there is what we call unity in government and loyalty.
For those in the NDC, they all follow when they are directed to, but in the NPP, people want to act wise. It is alright to be wise, but when you are overly wise, it becomes problematic, so you have to be patient. If we are in government and you see certain things you don’t like, you can say it gently”.
He added, “Do you think we were happy with everything? But you just have to go in there and say your piece. You don’t have to come into the public and spill it all out; fighting your own government cannot be loyalty. It breeds disunity”.
The former MP added, “Kwaku Kwarteng was appointed Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament to oversee the government’s finance policies. The government had a policy where companies whose activities were under my trade ministry were offered tax exemptions. As a tax policy, it was a government policy approved by the Cabinet and approved by Parliament. As Chairman of the committee, you had to oversee its approval for the government.
“Whether you like it or not, you need to do what your government wants. If some of them are not good, we go and point out that this is not okay, but you don’t come out to rant in public. Kwaku Kwarteng fought me fiercely; that the tax exemptions that my ministry was seeking to support 1D1F (One District One Factory), you won’t support it. You fought me; when I say this, you say that you will cancel it”, he stated.
According to him, he reported Kwaku Kwarteng to the presidency, arguing that if he remains, things will collapse for the government.
He added, “What I am talking about is not a secret. I reported him to the presidency; I was with the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu; we went and talked about it, and when we returned, the Chairman would not budge.
Because of that, I personally, through my leadership in Parliament and the leaders of our Caucus, said if this gentleman, who is the Chairman of the committee, remains, things will collapse, so let’s remove him. I was part when we removed him.”
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