The reshuffle of the leadership of the Minority in Parliament is an attempt to respond to the emerging need of getting personalities who understand economics and finance to help the National Democratic Congress (NDC) going into the 2024 general elections, National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia has said.
Explaining the decision to replace Haruna Iddrisu with Dr Cassiel Ato Forson as the Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Asiedu Nketia told journalists at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, January 24 that “I was in Parliament going into the President Kufuor’s elections and JH Mensah (the Minority Leader in Parliament under the Rawlings administration) alone, a key economic figure did more than half of the work that brought President Kufuor to power and so you cannot underestimate the impact of your best finance people and people who can communicate very clearly on the economy when the nation finds itself in the situation that we are in now.
“So the whole reshuffle is an attempt to respond to the emerging needs of getting into the 2024 campaign.”
Prior to the press conference, he said that “The debates and the other discussions will focus on the economy so you need to put your best man in the economy forward, that is what we have done.
“We also looked at energy. These petroleum and electricity challenges and so we needed to settle on Kofi Armah Buah, our former Energy Minister to be the deputy minority leader and then the other area is infrastructure, Kwame Agbodza being our man in infrastructure should play a key role. So that generally is what informed the changes.”
Some Members of Parliament for the NDC raised concerns against the changes.
For instance, MP for Agotime Ziope, Charles Agbeve has demanded explanations into the decision by national executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to change the leadership of the Minority in Parliament.
Mr Agbeve said the NDC lawmakers were surprised following the announcement of the changes because consultations were not done on this matter.
He told TV3’s Komla Kluste in an interview that “I am flabbergastered, the news hit me because it is one of the last news I am expecting at this time, and so I am surprised.
It took me a long time to really appreciate the news because normally, the national executives will engage the leadership of Parliament and if leadership thinks the engagements, they can’t get to a consultation, they meet the whole caucus and so, I can count countless engagements between the caucus and the national executives on all issues.
“There are issues when they come up, leadership thinks let us take some advice from the national executives and then they give the direction. So one would have thought that if there is going to be a shake-up like this, there would have been some engagements and that engagement would have watered down the shock and surprise.
“You will know there is going to be some changes here and there and then people will make inputs and suggestions but this was not done and I will like to know what went into this thinking, I will want some explanations, that will give all of us reasons to support it. ”
The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congres (NDC) Fifi Kwetey explained the reason for the changes.
He stated that the decision is to reposition the party for the elections 2024.
‘It has become necessary for you to deploy you from your current position as Deputy Minority Leader with immediate effect,” a statement signed by General Secretary of the party Fiifi Kwetey said on Tuesday, January 24.
“I wish on behalf of the party to express our deepest appreciation to you for your service over the years in this capacity,’ the statement added.
It further said ” please kindly arrange with the new officer to effect the necessary handing over processes. Please accept our assurance of the highest regard.”
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana