The NDC Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has described the attack on the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, by the Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, as unwarranted.
Speaking in an interview today, March,5, 2021, the former Minister of Information and Media Relations said even though Sammy Gyamfi could have had legitimate grounds for criticising the leadership of the party, he had no basis to attack the Speaker.
“To move from criticisms to questioning the integrity of the Speaker is overstepping the boundaries. You need to show exactly what Bagbin did to become the subject of an attack.”
Mahama Ayariga
Mr Ayariga also said the anger towards the NDC caucus in Parliament by the grassroots of the party, is legitimate.
He further noted the members of the party have the right to be angry about the situation. He, however said, it is wrong for the Speaker of the House to be lumped in the attack.
“It’s true that many NDC members feel betrayed by some of our colleagues who voted to approve the nominees and it is understandable. But the truth is that with secret balloting anything can happen. You can never predict how the outcome of secret balloting will be.”
Mahama Ayariga
This comes on the back of the NDC’s Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi accusing the Speaker of Parliament and the leadership of the NDC caucus of betraying the party. This was after the House voted to approve all the vetted nominees for ministerial positions on Wednesday night.
The party prior to the voting had directed its members to vote against some of the nominees.
Statement By The Communications Officer
In a statement by the Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi he said the leaders betrayed the party for their selfish interest.
“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.
Sammy Gyamfi
“They brazenly defied the leadership of the party and betrayed the collective good for their selfish interest. We must not let them succeed in their parochial quest to destroy the NDC. The party that has done so much for them and us all. The shame they have brought on the party will forever hang like an albatross around their necks.”
Sammy Gyamfi
Vote Cast In Parliament
Parliament approved the Ministers-designates for fisheries, Hawa Koomson, Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and Food and agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie.
By majority decision the House voted to approve the trio through secret balloting.
Oppong Nkrumah polled 155 YES votes as against 110 NO votes representing 58.65% of total votes cast. Hawa Koomson had 161 YES votes as against 104 NO votes representing 60.75% of total votes cast.
Dr. Afriyie Akoto also obtained a 143 YES votes as against 121 NO votes representing 53.96% of total votes cast. A total of 265 MPs casted their votes in a secret ballot which ended around 2am on Thursday 4th March 2021.
