The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, who is also the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and his political party colleague, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko have allowed peace to prevail after a little misunderstanding.
Yesterday, the latter paid a visit to the Job 600 office of the Suame MP to clarify issues with him.
A picture shared on social media showed the duo in a lively mood, signalling that there was no cause for alarm.
The Suame legislator, in an interview, had expressed his disappointment in Gabby for allegedly making some unfounded allegations against him.
THE GENESIS
According to Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, he was accused by Gabby on Asaase Radio, for instigating the calls by some members of the majority caucus for the removal of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, an accusation he has denied.
“From nowhere, we hear Gabby Otchere-Darko on his Asaase Radio accusing me of instigating what was happening, for what? What do I stand to gain from that?” the Suame MP reportedly stated in a radio interview.
The Majority Leader subsequently questioned the authority of Gabby in the scheme of affairs of the government, a question that set a section of the public wondering what may be going on between the two leading members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
On Kumasi-based Sompa Radio, he said “There are people who would rather want to cause disintegration while you are committed to integrating. But now this has brought about another sense of anger. That Gabby Otchere-Darko—who does he think he is? I serve Akufo-Addo and I serve the party, as well as the government… when we talk about the government itself, what is your locus standi, to be accusing me of being an instigator?” he queried in an interview over the weekend.
GABBY DENIES
Before meeting the Majority Leader yesterday, Gabby made a post on his Facebook page to deny the allegation by Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu that he had accused him on radio of instigating the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta.
Gabby Otchere-Darko wrote, “I have said no such thing on Asaase Radio or any other radio station or media house, whether on air or online, either directly or indirectly. Indeed, my position, so far, on this issue in Parliament within the Majority Caucus has been to deliberately stay away from commenting on it publicly.
“I have never sponsored any candidate against the Majority Leader for the Suame seat. I would never do such a thing to a person I considered a strong loyalist, even within the NPP.”
BACKGROUND
Some NPP MPs had called for the immediate dismissal of Ken Ofori-Atta, Finance Minister and Charles Adu Boahen, Minister of State at the Finance Ministry. The latter has been fired following the Anas’ documentary.
According to the aggrieved MPs, Ken Ofori-Atta’s continued tenure in office has hampered the IMF negotiations with the country, because the minister has lost all credibility.
They petitioned the president to either remove him or face a boycott of government business in Parliament.
“If our request is not responded to positively, we will not be present for the budget hearing, neither will we participate in the debate,” Mr. Andy Appiah-Kubi, spokesperson for the Majority Caucus and MP for Asante-Akim North Constituency indicated.
Subsequently, the Majority Leader said the entire caucus was in alignment with the call for the embattled Finance Minister’s removal.
Meanwhile, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko is the counsel for the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, who is appearing before the Adhoc committee tomorrow to respond to the grounds for his censure by parliament, tabled by the minority caucus.
