The Minority Leader in Parliament, Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson has disclosed the Minority Caucus’s intent to begin an impeachment process of the President, H. E Akufo-Addo, indicating that the President’s recent actions are a clear breach of the 1992 Constitution.
The Minority Leader admonished the President and his government appointees to be mindful of the direction they are steering the country into, stating that the NDC will not countenance any of the President’s superfluous actions that seek to compromise the country.
“The honorable speaker has made an important call for Parliament to unite against the autocratic tendencies of our President. We in the NDC minority are ready to protect the sanctity of the constitution of the Republic of Ghana… it is obvious that the President has breached the constitution and we will advise ourselves”.
Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson
Furthermore, Hon. Ato Forson indicated that the 1992 Constitution specifies that the President must either assent or refuse to assent to a bill passed by parliament, clarifying that there is no middle ground for this directive of the constitution.
He stated that the President’s position regarding the anti-LGBTQ+ bill is alien to the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, referring to the President’s decision to not take action in regards to the mentioned bill.
Hon. Ato Forson also argued that the President must rethink the mammoth size of his government and downsize it, especially in light of the Parliament’s refusal to vet and approve the President’s ministerial nominees for the various ministries involved.
He indicated that the President’s failure to downsize the size of government signals to Ghanaians the President’s inability to comprehend the seriousness of the country’s economic vulnerability; a situation he claimed, the President created.
Moreover, the Minority Leader revealed that both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have agreed that the size of the government needs to be trimmed. He advised the President to adhere to the feedback from Ghanaians and the two parties concerning this issue. “There is an urgent need to downsize government to save the taxpayer from huge costs” he added.
Mahama To Appoint 60 Ministers ‘Only‘
Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson indicated that the flagbearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama intends to appoint not more than sixty (60) ministers of state to form his next government in 2025 given that he win the 2024 Presidential elections.
“Interestingly, we are also aware that the Vice President, who was part of a government that appointed 125 ministers has come round to also promise 50 ministers… All we are asking is the prudent justification for the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance with two deputy Ministers and the Minister of State Designate. Again, why do we have the same in the Ministry of Local Government?”.
Hon. Cassiel Ato Forson
He indicated that the opposition, NDC, stands strongly with the Speaker of Parliament to halt the vetting of the ministerial nominees appointed by the President, emphasizing that the NDC is committed to safeguarding the interests of Ghanaians.
Initially, the Minority in Parliament indicated that some ministries under the Akufo-Addo government are essentially redundant as other ministries could perform their duties. In light of this, the Minority suggested the government merges the Information and Communication Ministries, the Transport and Railways Ministries, and the Chieftaincy and Tourism Ministries, among others.
Also, the Minority Caucus in Parliament has always made known its disapproval of the President’s tendency to disregard the dictates of parliament regarding issues of major concern to Ghanaians; notable are the Minority’s positions on the Agyapa Royalties Deal and the E-levy policy.
Conclusively, as the debate on whether or not the President’s actions in recent times are constitutional, the President remains strong in his conviction that he is following the rule of law in all his actions.
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