The new minority leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has promised to work for his side of the House with the utmost honesty and dedication.
Ato Forson declared that he would speak for the minority’s overall objectives.
In a statement after his appointment, the congressman from Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam praised Mr. Iddrisu for “his great leadership when our party’s leadership gave him the chance.”
Ato Forson continued, “It will be my responsibility as leader to reflect our shared objectives with unshakable devotion and great integrity.”
“I am honored and humbled to have been chosen to lead our great and valiant caucus in Parliament,” he continued. I’d like to express my gratitude to our party’s leadership for having faith in me.
I also want to express my sincere gratitude to my coworkers, our party’s membership, and the Ghanaian people for their unwavering solidarity and support.
The National Democratic Congress, the minority party in parliament, will host an extraordinary meeting in the House today, Thursday, January 26, to discuss the dismissal of their leadership (NDC).
This is in response to the discord that the leadership change decision caused among the Minroty caucus.
Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the national chairman of the NDC, and Fifi Kwetey, the general secretary, will both be present at the meeting, according to Komla Klutse, the parliamentary correspondent for TV3.
So far, 48 opposition legislators have signed a petition urging the party officials to reconsider their choice.
They contend that the choice is unpopular and that they want it overturned.
A few NDC lawmakers, notably Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, voiced dismay at the party’s plan to restructure its parliamentary leadership.
Haruna Iddrisu, the representative for Tamale South, was replaced as minority leader on Tuesday, January 24, by Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the member of parliament for the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam Constituency. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah of Ellembelle takes over for James Klutse Avedzi in that position as well.
The Tamale Central MP said there had been no caucus input at all before the publication in a statement made on TV3’s News 360 on Tuesday, January 24, following the announcement of the decision.
Every member of parliament, he claimed, was astonished. “And I can tell you that even those who have been offered to take leadership, some of them are surprised that such a proposition is made without even contacting them,” he said.
He criticized the method of communication, claiming that, like many other NDC MPs, he learned about the decision via social media.
He raged, “That is not how things are done.”
The NDC is a democratic party. We have hailed ourselves as this democracy’s pioneers. We have all decided to follow the road of democracy because the NDC created the Constitution in 1992.
He said that the NDC should be the last to reject democratic principles, and that doing so without engaging the group or caucus reeks of contempt in his eyes.
The former Nanton MP claimed that his participation in the Sixth and even Eighth Parliaments convinced him that the party’s leadership and caucus actively discuss each other before making such decisions.
He questioned, “How can you pick leaders for a group without consulting that group?”
“Who told you that the folks you selected would be acceptable to the group? If the group felt uneasy around the people you chose, it will be the beginning of that particular leadership failing.
Charles Agbeve, a member of parliament representing Agotime Ziope, also requested justifications for the choice.
The NDC MPs, according to Mr. Agbeve, were taken aback when the revisions were announced since there had been no prior discussions.
“I am flabbergasted, the news hit me since it is one of the last things I am anticipating at this moment, and so I am astonished,” he said in an interview with TV3’s Komla Kluste.
“It took me a while to really appreciate the news because usually the national executives will consult with the leadership of Parliament, and if the leadership feels that the consultation can’t proceed, they meet with the entire caucus. As a result, I can count countless meetings between the caucus and the national executives on all issues.
When problems arise, the leadership decides to consult the national executives for guidance before deciding on a course of action. So, if there was going to be a shake-up like this, one would have assumed that there would have been some engagements, and that engagement would have mellowed down the surprise and shock.
“You will know there will be some modifications here and there, and then people will provide their opinions and recommendations, but this was not done, and I will want to know what went into this thinking; I will want some answers that will give us all reasons to support it.”
Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the National Chairman of the NDC, said that the decision was made in light of the way that national problems are now being discussed.
“You need to put your finest guy forward in the economy, and that is what we have done,” he told Accra-based Joy FM. “The debates and the other conversations will center on the economy.”
We also examined energy. Due to the problems with oil and power, we decided that Kofi-Armah Buah, our former energy minister, should serve as the Deputy Minority Leader. For the infrastructure problem, Kwame Agbodza, our man in infrastructure, should also play a significant role. Therefore, that was primarily the source of the alterations.
Credit: 3news.com