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Open Letter To Leadership, National Democratic Congress Caucus In Parliament 

To Whom It May Concern

DISPLEASURE AT POOR PARLIAMENTARY ATTENDANCE BY NDC MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

I am writing on behalf of the aggrieved National Democratic Congress grassroots to express our displeasure at the current happenings in Parliament. The victory and trust that the Ghanaian electorates reposed in our party to give us a majority of seats in Parliament in the recent elections was to enable us to effectively and efficiently reset the country, which was badly governed by the Akuffo Addo-Bawumia administration. Ghanaians saw how frustrating it would be for John Mahama to reset this country, taking a cue from Afenyo Markins’ intransigent stance in the last days of their administration, failing to build consensus with our MPs. To prevent this, they (Ghanaians) voted for our Parliamentary Candidates to give us a two-thirds majority in the chamber.

However, it appears to us, the grassroots, that our MPs are still in a state of jubilation and do not see the need to appear in the chamber to help us ensure that government business goes through. We are saddened by the events prior to the approval of Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, Minister-designate for Lands and Natural Resources, where he had to retract and apologize for his comments passed in the chamber during former President Akuffo Addo’s last State of the Nation Address (SONA). Must the former Deputy Minority Leader, former Deputy Majority Leader, go through such a situation before his approval by the House? What really adds salt to injury is the Minority Leader saying, before the House, that we do not have the numbers, despite having 183 MPs and 4 Independent MPs caucusing with us, giving us 187 MPs. How on earth should 88 Members of Parliament interrupt government business on the basis of having many MPs in Parliament than 187 MPs? The NPP is overshadowing our MPs both at the vetting and at the plenary. They are less than half our numbers in the House, and this must not be the experience at the earliest stage of our government.

We are not happy because, despite building democracy, the NPP in their last administration were undemocratic, especially in how they passed the E-Levy with someone, to my opinion, impersonating Adwoa Sarfo, the then MP for Dome Kwabenya. Disclaimer: This is an opinion and not a statement of fact; hence, do not invite me to the Privileges Committee, as I have no evidence.

Please, we do not want to get to a point where we have to get our own register at our various constituencies to mark MPs out of the chamber; hence, refrain from absenteeism at the chamber, which makes Hon. Afenyo Markins and Annor Dompreh raise their shoulders, obstructing government business. The happenings before the vetting of Hon. Edward Omane Boamah yesterday were just an attention-seeking move by the Minority caucus because they cannot be silent at conclave meetings and come to display such attitude at the glare of the cameras to seek relevance in the minds of Ghanaians, whom they inflicted so much pain.

We want to see a change in attendance by our MPs, starting tomorrow, Thursday, 30th January 2025, so the Minority will see their true state in the House. Akuffo Addo caused us pains that Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah was very lenient to him with the remarks, only for him to apologize and retract such statements. Do not make us believe Afenyo Markins is superior in terms of Parliamentary proceedings in the House. I really miss the leadership of Rt. Hon. Speaker, Kinsford Sumana Bagbin, when he was Majority Leader. Again, I miss Hon. Casiel Ato Baah Forson’s leadership as Minority Leader, how he stood his grounds to oppose the E-Levy, and miss the leadership of Hon. Haruna Idrisu and Hon. Muntaka, how they ensured Rt. Hon. Speaker Bagbin was elected as the Speaker in the 8th Parliament.

I rest my case.

Ebenezer Mensah
Branch Secretary
Amenfi West
Western Region
Lead Convener
0550076825/0507768226

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