Day: January 26, 2023

The Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Mustapha Foyo Gbande, has refuted reports that he was attacked by some members of the party on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.

In a publication, Radio Tamale reported that some irate supporters of the NDC on Wednesday stormed the premises of the radio station and inflicted harm on the deputy general secretary of the main opposition party.

But reacting to the report in a statement copied to GhanaWeb, Mustapha Gbande said he was at no point attacked or harmed when he went to Radio Tamale.

“Whiles on air, some supposed party members numbering about 7 came to the premises of the station to express their displeasure on the change of Hon. Haruna Iddrisu as leader of the Minority group in Parliament. I came down from the studio to calm issues down before leaving. At no point was I attacked, and such a claim must be treated with the contempt it deserves,” the deputy general secretary said.

According to the report by Tamale Radio, the group of irate NDC supporters stormed the radio station and assaulted Mr Gbande over the party’s decision to change the leadership of its caucus in parliament.

Details of the incident revealed in a publication by the radio station show that the incident happened during a live interview by Mustapha Gbande over the changes in the leadership of the party’s caucus in Parliament.

Mustapha Gbande is reported to have justified the decision by the National Executive Committee of the party on grounds that the changes were necessary for victory in the 2024 elections.

He is said to have explained that the NDC boasts competent members for leadership positions and that whenever the party feels it is suitable for changes, it will make such decisions.

According to the report, just when Mustapha Gbande was about to wrap up his interview, some supporters believed to be from the camp of ousted Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu stormed the premises and attempted to force their way into the studio but they were repelled.

The angry supporters stayed around the premise, and when Mustapha Gbande, who is the deputy to Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the man who signed the controversial release, came out after the interview, they pounced on him and assaulted him before he could be whisked into his car.

But in his rejoinder to the report, Mr Gbande was emphatic in stating that no attack was meted out on him.

“My attention has been drawn to a supposed attack on my person as reported by Tamale Radio on their online portal.

“For the records, I wasn’t attacked in Tamale yesterday. The fact of the matter is, during an interview session with Radio Tamale on a press conference I addressed earlier in Tolon Constituency on an embarrassing Ludo donation by the MP, the question of the changes in the NDC was put to me. I indicated that it was a strategic decision by the party in repositioning the party in winning the 2024 election. I indicated that even though I may not be personally happy about the changes, it is in the interest of the party.

“I made it clear that the decision taken by leadership might not sit well with all members but we must accept it even if reluctantly for us to move on in our quest to winning power in 2024,” he added.

A former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has been appointed as the Minority Leader, as a replacement for Haruna Iddrisu.

Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has also been named as the new Deputy Minority Chief Whip.

Kwame Agbodza takes over as Chief Whip.

Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Chief Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip.

This was contained in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, from the National Democratic Congress dated January 23, 2023.

Source: Ghana Web

The National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joseph Yamin, has said that the national executive of the party does not need the consent of the party’s parliamentary caucus before making any decision.

According to him, the executives of the party have been given the power by the constitution of the NDC to make appointments including that of the party’s leadership in Parliament.

“I don’t fault anybody who has issues with the change in leadership but the point is that the national executives of the party have been given some power to make appointments including that of the leadership of Parliament.

“What we did was a reshuffle and there is no timeframe for it. These current executives have been in office for at least seven years. Haruna Iddrisu was the minority leader from 2017 to yesterday. Mutaka has been chief whip from when the NDC was in power.

“I don’t see anything wrong when the party takes a decision and says that at this moment, we should let some new faces take over. It was the party’s decision and the party did not take the decision without consulting those who were removed. We don’t need to consult the caucus. Let us not forget that those who were removed were also appointed by the party,” he said in Twi.

Yamin also posited that the party’s parliamentary caucus is not bigger than the party for its executives to seek their permission before taking decisions.

“Is the caucus bigger than the party’s national executive, is that what they want to tell us?” he added in an interview on Ark FM monitored by GhanaWeb, on Wednesday, January 26, 2023.

The change in the leadership of the minority caucus of Parliament has led to some confusion in the NDC with some members of the party, including some Members of Parliament saying that the party’s parliamentarians should have been consulted before the move.

The NDC leadership has appointed the former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, as the minority leader in the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic who replaced the MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu.

According to the NDC, Kofi Armah Buah, MP for Ellembele, will take over as the Deputy Minority leader.

While Kwame Governs Agbodza, MP for Adaklu, he will replace Asawase MP Muntaka Mohammed as the Chief Whip.

Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Whip.

This was contained in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, from the National Democratic Congress dated January 23, 2023.

Source: Ghana Web

Members of the NDC in the Asawase constituency have cautioned the NEC to immediately rescind its decision on the reshuffle it made amongst the minority caucus in parliament.

Describing the reshuffle as segregation against northerners and the Zongo caucus, the Asawasi NDC called on the functional executives to bring back Muntaka and Haruna Iddrisu to their respective positions before things get worse.

According to them, the ‘tsunamic’ change will be a great loss to the party should the NEC fail to reinstate the two key personalities.

Addressing the media in a press conference, constituency secretary of the party, Mugis Mahdi said the enormous roles respectively played by the former minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu and the minority chip whip, Mohammed Muntaka Muntaka, was massive to the extent that removing them from the parliamentary front will hugely affect the party in its quest to get power from the NPP.

“Changing two key players in this crucial moment we need to regain power from the NPP will cause us a lot. Consider how it is going to affect the northern caucus in the party in their electoral decision. We urge them it is not too late to resign this decision before it’s too late,” he said.

Describing the change as shocking and segregation of the northern caucus, the secretary revealed that it was very unfortunate the change came without any broader consultation”.

Meanwhile, some party faithfuls who spoke to this reporter in a sideline interview said they were going to vote ‘skirt and blouse’ should Mr. Asiedu Nketiah and his other executives fail to reinstate the two powerful keys.

“We’ll vote for Muntaka and vote against the NDC at the national level in our next general election,” they said.

Source: Ghana Web

A political science lecturer at the Kumasi Technical University, Dr. Smart Sarpong, is predicting that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) may lose the Asawase seat over the removal of Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka as the Minority Chief Whip in parliament.

According to him, the votes from the Ashanti Region form more than some of the votes from the party’s strongholds in other parts of the country.

He insisted that the Asawase constituency contributed significantly to the electoral victory of the NDC.

Dr. Sarpong said that he fears the agitation being witnessed by some constituents of Asawase could cause the party to suffer heavily in the general elections.

In an interview with Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV, he warned the NDC against moves that could weaken their chances of winning the next election, adding that “the NDC should not think that they have won the 2024 elections.”

“Muntaka is the only NDC MP within the Central Business District (CBD) in the Ashanti Region, so why remove him?

“NDC votes in the Ashanti region is more than many of votes from the so-called strongholds of the NDC. If the disturbances in Asawase reflects into votes, the NDC may lose the Asawase seat for the first time,” he stated.

The political scientist further stated that if the current agitations and unresolved tensions are not tackled, it will definitely affect the votes that the NDC will receive from the region.

“If you reflect on the gains made by the party in Asawase in 2020 and now that there’s division in the party, what it means is that NPP needs about 1,000 votes to snatch the seat from NDC and no one should take Muntaka for granted,” he told morning show host, Kwesi Parker-Wilson.

He added that the electoral gains chalked by the NDC in the Ashanti Region was largely due to Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka’s role in the region.

He called on the party to save itself by rescinding its decision to oust the Haruna Iddrisu administration from the leadership of parliament.

Source: Ghana Web

The outgoing Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, has spoken out for the first time since his removal from the position.

Addressing the press at Parliament on Thursday, January 26, 2023, Muntaka said that he is surprised the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs) were not consulted before the decision was taken to change their leadership.

He posited that even though there are no laid down procedures for the appointment of the party’s parliamentary leadership, the precedency is that MPs are always consulted before the final decision is made.

He added that if the party’s decision is accepted by the caucus, he has no problem accepting it.

“In 2013, all the NDC MPs met at the office of the Greater Accra Regional Minister, and I remember the then executives of the party were there. Names were mentioned one after the other; discussion will go on, then we will affirm them before it was announced.

“Then in 2017, the same thing happened. We came to a caucus meeting at the Job 600 auditorium, and all those discussions happened there on the 4th of January for us to conclude.

“… I can assure you I will pledge 100 percent if this process is taken through our caucus and the caucus takes a decision we will support whoever is chosen,” he said.

Muntaka, the MP for Asawase, and senior MPs of the NDC, including Dominic Ayine (MP for Bolgatanga East) and Cletus Avoka (MP for Zebilla), petitioned the party’s National Executive Committee (NDC) on the selection of the new executives.

The change in the leadership of the minority caucus of Parliament has led to some confusion in the NDC, with some members of the party, including some Members of Parliament, saying that the party’s parliamentarians should have been consulted before the move.

The NDC leadership has appointed the former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, as the minority leader in the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic. He replaced the MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu.

According to the NDC, Kofi Armah Buah, MP for Ellembele, will take over as the Deputy Minority Leader.

While Kwame Governs Agbodza, MP for Adaklu, he will replace Asawase MP Muntaka Mohammed as the Chief Whip.

Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Whip.

This was contained in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, from the National Democratic Congress, dated January 23, 2023.

Source: Ghana Web

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for the Asawase Constituency and former Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, has asked the new minority leadership to allow consultations to be held before they assume their roles.

According to him, there is a need for the new leaders to have patience and ensure the party consults the minority caucus in parliament.

Muntaka also dismissed claims by Cassiel Ato Forson suggesting that a fruitful conversation with the former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, and the newly appointed Minority Leader was not fruitful.

“I can tell you that the meeting was not fruitful. He mentioned some measures that they had to take, but that was not done. I can tell you that he was irritated at the meeting,” Muntaka said during a press conference on Thursday.

Addressing the media on Thursday, January 26, 2023, at the behest of the NDC parliamentarians, MP for Zebilla East and former Majority Leader, Cletus Apul Avoka, stressed that only a decision reached after broad deliberations will be accepted.

“The basis for our prayer is that the party suspends the reshuffling as indicated by the General Secretary until such a time that a holistic meeting of stakeholders with consultations before a decision is taken.”

“It is on this backdrop that the national executives of the party a few weeks ago decided that all appointees in the party and parliament should remain in office after we conclude the parliamentary and presidential primaries. We are therefore surprised that the reshuffling is reaching the caucus in Parliament. We think that this is premature.”

Muntaka, the MP for Asawase, and senior MPs of the NDC, including Dominic Ayine (MP for Bolgatanga East) and Cletus Avoka (MP for Zebilla), petitioned the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) on the selection of the new executives.

The change in the leadership of the minority caucus of Parliament has led to some confusion in the NDC, with some members of the party, including some Members of Parliament, saying that the party’s parliamentarians should have been consulted before the move.

The NDC leadership has appointed the former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, as the minority leader in the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic. He replaced the MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu.

According to the NDC, Kofi Armah Buah, MP for Ellembele, will take over as the Deputy Minority Leader.

While Kwame Governs Agbodza, MP for Adaklu, he will replace Asawase MP Muntaka Mohammed as the Chief Whip.

Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Whip.

This was contained in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, from the National Democratic Congress, dated January 23, 2023.

Source: Ghana Web

The outgoing Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, has said that the appointment of new leadership for the minority caucus was not a decision of the National Democratic Congress.

According to him, none of the party’s structures, which are supposed to take decisions for the party, were involved in the selection of the new leadership of the minority caucus.

Muntaka, who made these remarks while addressing the press at Parliament on Thursday, January 26, 2023, added that the letter addressed to the Speaker of Parliament on the new leadership of the minority was written based on the decision of just a few people.

“The letters that were issued were not a decision of the party. Our party has about four decision-making structures. First Congress, where all delegates meet to take decisions, second is the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the third is the Functional Executive Committee (FEC).

“It is when this group takes decisions that you get the General Secretary and the Principal Officer involvement. Then we also have the Council of Elders.

“I serve on FEC, I serve on NEC, I go to the Council of Elders as an observer and the minority leader (Haruna Iddrisu) is also on all these levels and at no such meeting was there any agenda to discuss this. So, it is clear that the letter was written by the General Secretary but the decision may have been taken by just a few people in the party,” he said.

He urged the executive of the party to sit up and ensure their actions did not go contrary to the constitution of the party.

Muntaka, the MP for Asawase, and senior MPs of the NDC, including Dominic Ayine (MP for Bolgatanga East) and Cletus Avoka (MP for Zebilla), petitioned the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to suspend the new leadership appointment.

The change in the leadership of the minority caucus of Parliament has led to some confusion in the NDC, with some members of the party, including some Members of Parliament, saying that the party’s parliamentarians should have been consulted before the move.

The NDC leadership has appointed the former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, as the minority leader in the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic. He replaced the MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu.

According to the NDC, Kofi Armah Buah, MP for Ellembele, will take over as the Deputy Minority Leader.

While Kwame Governs Agbodza, MP for Adaklu, he will replace Asawase MP Muntaka Mohammed as the Chief Whip.

Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Whip.

This was contained in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, from the National Democratic Congress, dated January 23, 2023.

Source: Ghana Web