MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has threatened not to back members of the National Democratic Congress who disobeyed the party’s rules by voting against the approval of new government officials.
On Friday, March 24, following a day of heated discussions and tight voting, Parliament approved all six of President Akufo-Addo’s choices for minister and for the Supreme Court.
Speaker Alban Bagbin said that all nominees got more than the minimum of 138 votes because there were 275 eligible voters. Although the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as a whole decided to vote against the nominees, not all NDC MPs followed suit.
All six of President Akufo-Addo’s nominations for ministerial positions and his nominees for the Supreme Court were approved by Parliament on Friday, March 24, following a tense debate and vote the day before.
These are the trade and industry, agriculture, chieftaincy, and religious affairs ministers.
- Mr. Kobina Tahir Hammond, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi Asokwa, was approved to succeed Mr. John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen as Minister of Commerce and Industry with Dr. Stephen Amoah named as Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry.
- Mr. Bryan Acheampong, the Member of Parliament for Abetifi, was approved for the Food and Agriculture Ministry to replace Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, while the Member of Parliament for Karaga, Mohammed Amin Adam, has been made Minister of State in the Finance Ministry.
- Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng, the former Director General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), was approved for the Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Ministry to replace Mr. Ebenezer Kojo Kum while Mr. Osei Bonsu Amoah will serve as Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.
Ablakwa, who seems to be hurt by the behaviour of the abovementioned MPs, said that they have caused the NDC to lose credibility in the eyes of many Ghanaians during Friday’s Obaasima Campus Tour event at the University of Health and Allied Science in Ho.
“They said we should hold a press conference and tell the Ghanaian public that we will vote against (the president’s appointees), that we are opposed; only for the vote to take place after the press conferences and public assurances, more than 30 of you stabbed us in the back.
“And you think that I am going to support you people because you belong to my party. I will not because we don’t even have credibility, the next time we will go and hold a press conference the Ghanaian people will not take us seriously.
“I don’t believe in treacherous politics, politics without principals, politics of betrayal, I don’t believe in that. And if because of that, one day, I will be suspended or banished from the party so be it,” he said.
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