A former United Nations senior governance advisor, Prof Baffour Agyeman-Duah, has urged the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, to apologise to the Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Haruna Iddrisu and other leaders of the Minority Caucus who were recently replaced.
According to him, Haruna Iddrisu was an effective Minority Leader and the manner in which he was removed is embarrassing.
He added that Asiedu Nketiah needs to apologise to begin the healing process for the NDC which is currently divided over the change in their parliamentary leadership, asaaseradio.com reports.
“Haruna has led this party very well in Parliament… He may have some faults like all of us do, but frankly, he has been an effective leader, a very strong and staunch spokesperson for the party.
“So, if you are going to displace him, there must be a way you do that without embarrassment. So, I think if all these issues are true that they were not consulted, then Asiedu Nketiah needs to apologise to them as a prelude to the healing process,” Prof Agyeman-Duah
The change in the leadership of the minority caucus of Parliament has led to some confusion in the NDC, with some members of the party, including some Members of Parliament, saying that they should have been consulted before the move.
The NDC leadership has appointed the former deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, as the new Minority Leader in the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic, replacing the MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu.
According to the NDC, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP for Ellembele, will take over as the deputy Minority leader.
While Kwame Governs Agbodza, MP for Adaklu, will replace Asawase MP Muntaka Mohammed as the Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the first deputy Minority Chief Whip, while Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the second deputy Minority Whip.
This was contained in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, from the National Democratic Congress dated January 23, 2023.
IB/SARA
National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah