The leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has asked its members and Executives to be circumspect in their utterances following the approval of Ken Ofori-Atta as Minister of Finance by Parliament.
The process, chaired by the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu,had the Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu, second the motion to approve the Minister.
Before the vote, Mr. Haruna, however,raised some issueson the Floor of the House concerning the appointment.
Some party faithful have registered their displeasure about the decision of NDC Members of Parliament to support Mr. Ofori-Atta’s appointment.
However, in a press statement signed by its General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the party assured its members that the decision was arrived at in view of the “exigencies of the situation.”
He, therefore,urged the rank and file of the party to remain calm and “circumspect” in their reactions to the appointment.
“Following what transpired previously in respect of vetting and approval of some Ministers-designate, the minority leadership, the party leadership, as well as the Council of Elders, have engaged in extensive consultations with the view to adopt (sic) a common position based on the exigencies of the situation,” parts of the statement said.
Mr. Ofori-Atta was approved on Friday by a voice vote in parliament. This was based on the recommendation of the Appointments Committee after reaching a consensus.
Some weeks ago, the Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, together with some party members, registered their displeasure about a decision taken by the NDC leadership in parliament to approve some ministers-designate.
Those appointees are now Minister ofInformation, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Ministerof Fisheries, Hawa Mavis Koomson and Ministerof Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu AfriyieAkoto.
This led to the NDC Council of Elders serving as an arbitrator to restore calm within the party’s fraternity.
With that background, the party has been of the view that an official statement urging their members to be circumspect in their reaction to Mr Ofori-Atta’s appointment would be in the best interest of the party.
The leadership of the NDC has, however, pledged to “fully” brief the party’s Parliamentary Caucus and the Functional Executive Committee accordingly on the said matter.
-myjoyonline
Pix – Minister of Finance,Ken Ofori-Atta
