A former leader of the NDC’s caucus in parliament, Cletus Avoka, has apologized to the new Minority Leader, Ato Forson for denigrating him.
The Zebilla East MP, who’s one of the senior members of the NDC is among the MPs who have signed a petition against the party’s new changes in the minority leadership.
On Thursday, he and the former Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak led a press conference for the disgruntled MPs.
Mr. Avoka and his colleagues insist that the timing for the changes is wrong. They are also disappointed in the failure of leadership to consult widely before the decision.
The MPs have demanded a suspension of the changes until the right consultations are done. They claim neither the leaders nor the caucus was engaged by the party on the changes.
Per the changes, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson takes over from Haruna Iddrisu as the new Minority Leader. Ellembelle MP, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, will replace James Klutse Avedzi as Deputy Minority Leader.
Kwame Agbodza becomes the Minority Chief Whip replacing Muntaka Mubarak. He will be deputized by Banda MP, Ahmed Ibrahim and Ada legislator, Comfort Doyo Ghansah respectively.
Mr. Avoka in an interview with Citi News implied that this was not the time to make “a nobody feel like somebody.”
“This is not the time to make nobody a somebody, this is not the time to make nobody a somebody, this is the time to galvanise all of us to fight the NPP so that we can win elections, not to make heroes out of nonentities, this is not the time,” Mr Avoka said on Tuesday.
However, the MP in clarifying his comment in another interview on Citi FM, apologized for the offensive comment.
“I will be the last person to say that and if I said that then it was an error. What I wanted to say was that this is not the time to drop somebody and elevate another. This is what I was trying to say and if in the process I said something different, I must apologise, and I am very sorry. I cannot denigrate any of my colleagues.”
Reports say out of the NDC’s 137 MPs, 73 of them have signed a petition in protest against the decision. Meanwhile, the other 64 MPs have also reportedly signed a counter petition endorsing the new leaders.
Meanwhile, the new minority leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, says he has had some discussion with his predecessor. Mr. Forson says he will work to unite the caucus for the party’s larger interest.
The new leaders are expected to start work on February 7, 2023, when parliament returns from recess.
Source – Tru News Report
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