Ras Mubarak asserted that nobody was consulted prior to the appointment of the minority leader in the 7th Parliament and that he shudder to understand the criticism that the application of the same principle has generated this time around.
“In the 7th Parliament, some people wanted Mahama Ayariga to be Minority Leader. Others wanted Muntaka Mubarak while others rooted for Haruna Iddrisu. Who consulted us in the 7th Parliament when that decision was taken? In the end, the party’s wisdom was respected. And the leaders got the very maximum support,” he said.
In a Facebook post, he stressed the need for party members to respect and accept the judgment of the National Executive Council led by Johnson Asiedu Nketiah.
“In a time like this, what we require is maturity and not emotions and tantrums. We elected Chairman ASIEDU Nketia believing that he and the team would take some good but tough decisions. They may be doing just that.
“It is important to give him and the rest of the team the benefit of the doubt, respecting the soundness of their judgment.
“The signal the National Chairman and his team are sending is that the NDC is different from the NPP. The NPP is the only party where non-performance is rewarded. Have we not had cause to complain about the soundness of the decisions of the previous leaders and a need for changes ahead of 2024?”
The former Kunbungu member of parliament further questioned the motives of individuals who are opposing the new development.
“For those who are up in arms against the reshuffle, what moral authority would they have to question the continued stay in office of the likes of Ken Ofori-Atta who’s run the country to the ground through his wrong-headed economic policies, goaded by the President and the economic management team,” he asked.
He continued by saying that all agitations must be put on hold in order for the party to accept Ato Forson as their new minority leader.
“We need power. Asking for the decision to be reversed is bizarre. Such flip-flopping would be more fatal, with disastrous consequences to the tenure of the ASIEDU Nketia led Executives. It’s bait to get them to start on a catastrophic note.
“If we truly want power, we must put this behind us and rally behind the Ato Forson-led Minority group.
“The NDC is bigger than any individual in the party. We can’t have on our hands a situation where hell breaks loose when seemingly untouchables are reshuffled. It would be disastrous for a future NDC government. We can weather this storm together. Let people come to terms with the fact that the ship has sailed, and use their energies towards kicking out the NPP, whose tenure has been nothing but a calamitous failure,” he added.
The NDC in a statement signed by the General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey announced that it has made changes to the leadership of the minority in parliament.
The former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has been appointed as the Minority Leader in the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
Kofi Armah Buah is also the Deputy Minority Chief Whip. Kwame Agbodza takes over as Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Chief Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip.
AM/KPE
Ras Mubarak, Former Member of Parliament for Kunbungu