The incoming Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has made a passionate appeal to the rank and file of the National Democratic Congress to exercise restraint in the wake of “surprise” changes made to the leadership of the NDC caucus in Parliament.
His assurance is premised on the fact that the new leadership is in capable hands and are also committed to unite the party in peace.
The party named Ato Forson as the new Minority Leader replacing Haruna Iddrisu. In a letter to the Speaker of Parliament on Monday, the party also stated the names of Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah and Kwame Agbodza as the new Deputy Minority Leader and Chief Whip respectively.
The announcement caused a sharp division among members of parliament with a pocket of party supporters protesting against the decision.
Good Hands
But in his first public appearance as the new head of the Minority group in Parliament, Dr. Ato Forson, who is the Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam constituency, called for calm.
“I will appeal to rank and file of the party to keep calm,” he made the clarion call at a press conference on Thursday morning flanked by the incoming Minority Chief Whip, Kwame Agbodza, and other MPs.
“Members of Parliament are in good hands,” the soft spoken legislator assured the party.
“We will work with them [rank and file] with due diligence, obviously we are not new in this house. I have been in this house for 14 years. I know the capabilities of all our colleagues…And I can assure you that together we shall succeed”.
Frank Conversation
Dr. Ato Forson said after news broke about the changes, he had a “frank conversation” with the man he is succeeding, who is the MP for Tamale South, and commended him for “his admirable stewardship when he was granted the opportunity by our party’s leadership.”
The new leader was confident, reiterating that with the support of the entire minority caucus in parliament “we shall succeed”.
“Our first responsibility is to unite the caucus; that would be the number one on the agenda.”
He promised to tackle three things in the next month: prevailing on the government to downsize to reflect the mood of the country; organise public hearing to throw more light on the findings contained in the Auditor General’s report detailing how COVID-19 funds were expended; and a roadshow to bring Ghanaians to speed on the ongoing domestic debt exchange programme.