Former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, has justified the decision of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to reshuffle its leadership in parliament, saying the move is to prepare the party for the 2024 elections.
The largest opposition party on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 announced a change in the party’s parliamentary leadership.
In a letter signed by the General Secretary of the party, Fifi Kwetey, it said“the new leadership would be charged to recommend consequential changes in the Ranking membership to Headquarters of the party for approval”.
According to the party, former deputy minister for finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson takes over from Haruna Iddrisu as the minority leader; Kofi Armah Buah, member of parliament for Ellembelle takes over from James Klutse Avedzi as deputy minority leader; Kwame Agboza succeeds member of parliament for Asawase, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak as the minority chief whip; whilst Ahmed Ibrahim and Comfort Doyoe- Ghansah retain their positions as first and second deputy minority chief whips respectively.
The move has since been met with a myriad of mixed reactions from the party, as well as the general public.
In an interview with Bolgatanga based A1 radio on Wednesday, Mr. Inusah Fuseini, who doubles as the former ranking member on constitutional and legal affairs committee in parliament, explained that the economy would dominate discussions in the forthcoming elections, hence the need to choose persons who are well versed in the area, to lead the party in parliament.
He said the current group of leaders appointed to steer the affairs of the party in parliament is capable of masterminding victory in the impending elections, since the election would be won in parliament.
“The ultimate aim of the reorganisation efforts is to prepare the party for the impending elections and make sure that we put our best foot forward to win election 2024. It is in our collective interest that we galvanise and mobilise our energies for the battle ahead.
“Parliament will be a key battleground for the hearts and minds of the people of Ghana. NPP will be introducing policies, NPP will be dissipating our resources, the economy will be central to the debate on whether or not the NPP government can be trusted to rule this country,” he told host of the station’s Daybreak Upper East show, Mark Smith Ahumah.
He continued: “and so who is a better person suited for that charge, for that responsibility, than Cassiel Ato Forson, who was deputy minister for finance and helped in the management of the economy, and who is ranking member of finance. Or Armah Kofi Buah or Agboza Governs? And so it is just the reorganisation, strategising and repositioning of the party for the battle ahead”.
The axing of Haruna Iddrisu as minority leader in particular was met with stiff opposition from the constituents of Tamale South, as well as the incumbent Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, who asserted that there was no due consultation prior to the appointment of the new leadership.
When asked whether there was consultation before the appointment, Mr Inusah Fuseini said all the structures of the party were duly consulted and thus urged persons who are displeased with the move to accept the newly appointed leaders, since the decision cannot be reversed.
From Elijah Beyeni, Bolgatanga
