The Executive Director of Africa Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEP) Dr. Rashid Dramani has chided the minority caucus in Ghana’s 8th Parliament to rise up to the occasion and prove to the electorates that they are government in waiting.
Whiles he agreed that using the first quarter performance of the minority to judge them may not be right, he believed that events unfolded during the quarter cast serious doubt over the credibility of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) members of Parliament.
“I think timing of events that occurred during the first half of the year, involving the minority were good. I think it serves as a very serious wakeup call because Ghanaians’ expectation in this minority was high, especially looking at their numbers. They must show us they are credible to be given the mandate come 2024”, Dr. Dramani told Noel Nutsugah on Zylofon Fm’s morning show THE STATECRAFT.
Before the approval of 13 of President Akufo-Addo’s nominees this year, three of the nominees, Information Minister-designate, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Fisheries and Aquaculture minister-designate Mavis Hawa Koomson and Food and Agriculture Minister-designate Dr. Akoto Owosu-Afriyie were rejected by the Appointments Committee.
However, parliament approved 13 of the nominees including the three initially rejected ones. The development has left many Ghanaians in a state of surprise.
The National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Sammy Gyamfi, took to Facebook and expressed disappointment in the leadership of the party’s caucus in parliament, saying they have betrayed the party while calling for change in leadership.
But Dr. Rashid Dramani said although it is too early to judge the minority caucus, he believes they must also do more to “erase doubts from the minds of Ghanaians”.
“It is not only NDC members who are disappointed in them, there are other people who may have not even voted for them but believe that the party would hold government accountable. We all want to see different kind of politics but that has not happened for the past three months of their work”.
He is however hopeful that the minority will redeem itself and critically hold the feet of government to the fire, making sure that they play the oversight responsibility for which they have been elected, “otherwise next time the minority leader and his group come out to speak, people will not take them seriously”.
He also called on Parliament to purge itself as “there are too many allegations being leveled against them. People are getting tired”
