The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu says he is fully in charge of his caucus despite suggestions that the side is in crisis.
This follows the resignation of North Tongu Member of Parliament (MP), Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, from the Appointments Committee and the Bolga Central MP’s decision to break ranks with the caucus over the approval of Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister.
But addressing the press in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu said his caucus will weather the storm.
“I am fully in-charge. I am the Minority Leader. I just engaged the party leadership and Council of Elders and there will be no further comments on someone resigning or not.”
“The party is focused to work towards recapturing power in 2024 and the parliamentary organ led by me currently will do what is needful to work in tandem with the party to hold the Nana Akufo-Addo government accountable and to lead the party to victory in 2024. Whatever storm it is, we will weather it”, he added.
Ken Ofori-Atta’s approval as Minister for Finance has seen some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) chastising their representatives on the Appointments’ Committee for not being thorough and critical of the nominee.
For instance, Deputy Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of Parliament, Isaac Adongo said he has so many doubts about Mr. Ofori-Atta, insisting that his side should have rejected his nomination.
“I have stayed out of the media because of the question of why we approved Ken Ofori-Atta. I don’t want my name to be dragged in the mud when I do not have control over the processes leading to the approval of one of my fiercest critics,” he said.
Ablakwa’s resignation
In a related development, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has tendered in his resignation letter to the Speaker of Parliament indicating his decision to step down as a member of the Appointments Committee.
The exact reason for his resignation is not yet known however he says the decision is personal and based on principle.
Describing the resignation as a “difficult” decision, he said he took the step after “careful reflection and thoughtful considerations.”
The North Tongu legislator added that he will not be available for the vetting of President Akufo-Addo’s yet-to-be-announced deputy ministerial nominees.
“My resignation is with immediate effect and therefore, I shall not be available for the vetting of nominees for Deputy Ministerial positions,” a part of his letter read.
Recomposition of parliamentary leadership
In the meantime, the NDC has served notice that it will soon make changes in its leadership in Parliament.
“There is some work in progress. After every election, we reconstitute the leadership of Parliament even if it means reconfirming them. We haven’t done that yet because of the court cases. We started but got to a point and felt that we need to finish with the court cases first. So it is something we are considering. But there will be a definite statement. I am sure by the time, they [Parliament] return from the break, we would have taken this decision”, General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah has said.
