Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin
The confusion in the opposition National Democratic Congress has taken a different turn, with the National Communications Officer of the party, Sammy Gyamfi, descending on the leadership of the party as well as the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, labelling them as saboteurs who have betrayed the party.
According to the vociferous Sammy Gyamfi, the Speaker of Parliament, Minority Leader Haruna Iddrissu and the Member of Parliament for Asawase, Muntaka Mubarak, brazenly defied the leadership of the NDC and betrayed the collective good for their selfish interest by helping to approve some nominees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Out of the ministerial nominees of President Akufo-Addo that have been vetted so far, three of them, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister-designate for Information, Hawa Koomson, Minister-designate for Fisheries and Aquaculture; and Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister-designate for Food and Agriculture, had their approval done via secret vote because of a lack of consensus.
Mavis Hawa Kooomson got approved by 161 Yes votes to 104 No votes; Kojo Oppong Nkrumah got approved by 155 Yes votes to 110 No votes, while Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto got approved by 143 Yes votes to 121 No votes.
The NDC was opposed to their approval, and expressed reservations with other nominees.
Some NDC supporters are now upset with their MPs in Parliament because they backed some of the nominees.
Betrayal
Taking to his Facebook page, Sammy Gyamfi wrote: “Comrades, the betrayal we have suffered in the hands of the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, the leadership of our parliamentary group, particularly Hon. Haruna Iddrissu and Hon. Muntaka Mubarak, and dozens of our own MPs, is what strengthens me to work hard for the great NDC to regain power.”
He accused the trio of brazenly defying the leadership of the party, and urged members of the party to join hands to ensure that they do not succeed since they are bent on destroying the NDC for their “parochial quest”.
“…the party that has done so much for them and all of us. The shame they have brought on the party will forever hang like an albatross around their necks.
“These are hard times for all of us but we should not let the betrayal of a few quench our love for the great NDC. Rather, let it strengthen us to fight for this party. We all have an equal stake in this party. They are few, we are many. Some have sold their conscience but ours is intact. And we can work together to rebuild the party from the ashes of 3 March 2021, which I call ‘Black Wednesday’- Our day of self-inflicted shame,” he wrote.
“This is the time for us to insist on the right changes in the leadership of the NDC group in parliament or forget about them completely. The current leadership have lost their moral authority to lead and are not fit to sit on the front bench of the NDC side of the house. More importantly, it’s about time we understood that we don’t have any NDC Speaker of Parliament. No, we don’t! We have a Speaker who rode on the back of the NDC into office to pursue his own parochial agenda and nothing more. You trust them at your own peril,” he added.
Hypocrites
He further described those who will criticise him for what he believed is the truth as hypocrites, whilst sending a strong warning to them that he fears none of them.
“The hypocrites can choose to remain quiet or even condemn us for speaking up so they can remain in the good books of the renegades. But I and all who are pained by this act of betrayal will not keep quiet because we don’t fear anyone and don’t wish to be in their good books. If they can defy the party leadership and interest openly and subject all of us to public ridicule, then they can and must also be called out openly. The NDC party is supreme and it must be cleansed.
“Speak up, we can and must! And let nobody stand in our way. But when all is said and done, let’s work for the NDC with all our might and strength. Quench not your love for the party. Hope must not die. This storm shall pass. The NDC will survive and shall bounce back stronger for victory. So I say to you, be strong!” he ended.
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