By Edward Acquah
Accra, Jan. 30, GNA – Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, National Chairman, National Democratic Congress (NDC), says the Party’s leadership did not consult the Minority Caucus in Parliament over the decision to change its leadership “for good reasons”.
Speaking to Members of the Party at a press conference in Britain, United Kingdom, on Sunday, January 29, 2023, Mr Nketia said it was not “practical” to inform the Caucus beforehand given that the decision would have led to changes in their leadership.
At the press conference, which was monitored by the Ghana News Agency, Mr Nketia said apart from the Minority Caucus, “everybody who needed to be consulted was consulted”.
“The only group we didn’t consult was the Parliamentary caucus and it was for good reason. If the exercise was going to be done after an election, then there was nobody in charge. But if you are going to take a decision, which would result in the removal of leadership, how are you going to call them and say come and help me to remove you?
“It wasn’t practical; so in such matters you take the decision and inform them and justify it,” he said.
Mr Nketia said the Party would meet the Parliamentary Caucus on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, to explain to them the reason for the Party’s decision.
The NDC on Tuesday, January 24, made some changes to its leadership in Parliament.
Ranking Member of the Finance Committee and Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency in the Central Region, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has replaced Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu as the Minority Leader.
Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP for Ellembelle has also replaced Ketu North MP, James Klutse Avedzi as the Deputy Minority Leader while Kwame Governs Agbodza, MP for Adaklu has also replaced Asawase MP, Muntaka Mubarak as the Minority Whip.
The decision has since sparked outrage among some sections in the Party, with some NDC Members of Parliament publicly opposing the move.
Mr Nketia took full responsibility for the decision, saying the changes were in the best interest of the Party.
He told members of the Party in the UK to dismiss reports that the move had divided the Party, adding that the decision had rather “brought some new excitement on the front of NDC”.
Reacting to concerns about the timing of the move, Mr Nketia said the Party should have reshuffled its Parliamentary leadership in March 2021 but did not do so due the Presidential Election Petition case it had filed in court among other considerations.
“The old leadership was selected based on what was needed at the time and they have discharged their work creditably.
“Now there are new set of emerging challenges so it is only reasonable to go for leadership that possesses the skills set that would be able to discharge the responsibilities that have emerged because of the changing times,” Mr Nketia said.
Meanwhile, the NDC’s Council of Elders has charged its MPs and the Party’s leadership to be circumspect and refrain from comments that could escalate the seeming divided reactions to the changes made.
This was after some Minority MPs petitioned the Council to intervene in the decision to restore calm.
GNA