According to the new executive, their visit to the Speaker forms part of engagements they have been having since their appointment.
Addressing the press after their visit, the new deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Kofi Armah Buah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembele, said that they were resoundingly advised by Alban Bagbin.
“We have been having engagements the whole day and as part of these engagements, we visited the Speaker's residence. I have to say that we were warmly received. We benefited from his wise counsel. And so, we are very encouraged by it,” he said.
The Deputy Majority Leader also said that the main focus of the leadership of the minority caucus is to unite the caucus.
“Our priority right now is to make sure that we unite our caucus, that is our number one priority and that is so important to us.
“You cannot lead when you people are not united and that is our singular focus and we are confident we will do that,” he said.
Meanwhile, some MPs of the party have petitioned the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to suspend the appointment of the new leadership of the party in Parliament.
The NDC MPs calling for the suspension, including Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka (MP for Asawase), Dominic Ayine (MP for Bolgatanga East) and Cletus Avoka (MP for Zebilla), argue that the appointment was not made by any of the party’s decision-making structures but was imposed by just a few people.
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 the party’s parliamentarians should have been consulted before the move.
The NDC leadership has appointed the former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, as the minority leader in the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic who replaced the MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu.
According to the NDC, Kofi Armah 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 Whip, while Comfort Doyo 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/BOG