The Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) Group in Parliament has served notice that their continuous cooperation with the Majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) Group will be compromised should the government continue to unjustifiably hunt and persecute its members, in an attempt to reduce their numbers.
To do so, they said they will boycott all parliamentary business on days when the re-elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, will appear in court.
They also intend to do same for their other colleague MPs, including the Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson and Collins Dauda, who are currently being tried at the courts.
This comes after Mr Quayson was sworn in as MP for Assin North on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.
Addressing the Parliamentary Press Corps at a press conference, moments after swearing in of James Quayson, the deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, said “the verdict of the Assin North people is a stark reminder to the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government that, at all times whilst exercising the power and authority of the state, they must do so fairly and without ill-will, affection or malice, as they are enjoined to do by the constitution”.
He added, “As a united 137 Minority Group, restored and re-energised by the good people of Assin North, we wish to serve notice that from here, we shall march with our colleague, James Gyakye Quayson, to the High Court, to lend our unwavering support to him in his criminal trial.
“We shall continue to attend every court hearing with him in the full complement of our strength in the house and this, we shall extend to the court hearings of the Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Collins Dauda and any other member of the Minority who is currently being persecuted by the Akufo-Addo /Bawumia NPP government.”
According to him, until the persecution of their members stop, cooperation will suffer during all such occasions, stressing that “If you touch one, you touch all of us”.
Earlier on the floor of parliament, the Minority Leader, Ato Forson, noted that their decision was aimed at protesting what they perceive as persistent persecution against Mr Quayson.
Touching on the victory of Mr Quayson in last week’s by-election, the Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam MP said the win sends a powerful message to all politicians, asserting that Ghanaians cannot be swayed by monetary inducements for votes.
“The people of Assin North have sent a clear message to all politicians and the government of the day, especially that they cannot be lured with money, not be intimidated by threats and it is the same message that Ghanaians are sending to us that, in the year 2024, they will exercise their franchise based on their conscience and no amount of threats will dissuade them from voting out the administration that we are witnessing.”
Stories by Stephen Odoi-Larbi
