The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament who, during the last Friday secret vote, voted in favour of the approval of the six ministers and deputies have been applauded by the Member of Parliament for the Binduri constituency in the Upper East Region, Mr. Abdulai Abanga, for showing signs of love to mother Ghana.
The minority caucus in Parliament before the voting on Friday said it would not approve the ministers in line with a directive from the leadership of the party, but all the nominees were approved after a secret vote. The NDC at the party level had taken a position not to approve the nominations, citing the economic challenges facing the country.
But in an exclusive interview with the only NPP MP in the Upper East Region, Mr. Abanga said, the last minute turn of events that saw some of the minority MPs vote in favour of the approval of the Ministers was an exercise of independent thought and judgement rather than thinking in line with their political party interests. Mr. Abanga believes the leadership of the NDC is directing their MPs to do what is not right.
According to him, despite the fact that MPs are elected to represent their constituents in the ticket of a political party, they also have their rights and responsibilities they need to exercise for the country’s benefit.
“Most of the MPs from the NDC side are also rational people, and they are rational and reasonable people. And so what we saw were just people who loved their country who thought that they needed to do the right thing despite their political party instructing them to do what was not right. So they were just performing their duties as Ghanaians, yes it is on the back of a party that you are there but you are also a human being who is expected to exercise your mind independently and make judgement that will be best for this country”
The Binduri MP further noted that, the NDC’s augment on the downsizing of the government can be done without facing MPs who do not approve the ministers. Mr. Abanga describes all the ministerial positions nominated by the president as key ministers, without whom the government can not run successfully.
“My brother tells me Is it the case that we don’t need an agriculture minister? Is it the case that we don’t need a trade minister? Is it the case that we don’t need a Minister of state for the finance ministry? Or is it the case that we don’t need the chieftaincy minister? The concern of the NDC when they released what we all saw, was that the president should reduce his government. But in the case of these Ministers that was put forward for approval, these are sectors that you cannot tell me that we can run this country without substantive minister”
Source:A1Radioonline.Com|101.1MHZ|David Azure |Bolgatanga|
