“We were disappointed at this crucial time when we are about to go for our primaries. It tells us that all is not well. It would have an effect on the primaries. The grassroot is bent on punishing some parliamentary aspirants, especially the sitting ones that probably, this is their first time they have gone to Parliament and they are own is just to look at money.”
Francis Adingo, a member of the NDC’s Upper East Regional Communication Team said this when he spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show today, Thursday, March 30, 2023.
It will be recalled that after hours of disagreements and a brief suspension, Parliament finally approved President Akufo-Addo’s six ministerial nominees.
Adansi Asokwa MP, Kobina Tahir Hammond, has been confirmed to head the Ministry of Trade and Industry, with Dr. Stephen Amoah appointed as Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry.
Member of Parliament for Abetifi, Brian Acheampong, has been approved as the Minister of Food and Agriculture, and the Member of Parliament for Karaga, Mohammed Amin Adam, has been okayed as Minister of State at the Finance Ministry.
Stephen Asamoah Boateng is the new Minister for Religious and Chieftaincy Affairs, while Mr. Osei Bonsu Amoah heads to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development as Minister of State.
Mr. KT Hammond secured 154 yes votes as against 116 no votes to gain approval from the house. Dr Stephen Amoah received 146 votes against 123 NO votes to pass the approval stage.
Also, Brian Acheampong was approved after receiving 167 YES votes. Meanwhile, Amin Adam secured 152 YES votes while O.B Amoah had 149 YES votes.
When Mr. Adingo spoke to Mark Smith, he said the NDC MPs who voted for the approval of the Ministers had betrayed the course of the party and would be made to face the consequences.
He stressed that the delgates had ways of identifying the MPs who partook in the betrayal.
“The are mecahnisms to check that within the party. Even me sitting here who is not a senior executive member can tell who can easily be persuaded to do what they did. It is not an assumption. You see, there is intelligence that we gather as far as party activities are concernced.
Mr. Adingo’s positons falls in line with the position of the Upper East Regional Communications Director for the party, Jonathan Abdallah Salifu.
Mr. Abdallah Salifu said the minority Members of Parliament (MP) would have to explain to the delegates in the upcoming primaries why some of them voted in favour of the approval of the ministers in Parliament on Friday, March 24, 2023.
Additionally, some MPs may have to prove to delegates that they did not vote to approve the ministers. These actions are expected from the MPs to help manage the dashed expectations and hopes of members of the NDC.
Failure to do the above, as well as apologise to delegates, would mean that the chances of the MPs could be affected.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
