NDC MPs Angry With Mahama's Appointments

Some National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs) are very angry with President John Mahama and the hierarchy of the party following the appointment of their colleague MP for Juaboso, KwabenaMintahAkandoh, as Deputy Minister designate for Lands and Natural Resources.

Daily Guide can say that the appointment of the 34-year-old MP who until his entry into the house was the party’s Western Regional youth organizer, has brought huge discontent amongst some senior NDC MPs, especially those from the region, who are contending that the appointment is an insult to them.

A day after the announcement was made, an obviously elated Kwabena Akandoh came to the chamber of parliament very early and was receiving congratulatory messages from a few colleagues, especially those in the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

While the opposition MPs were congratulating him, they also promised him a ‘tough’ vetting session.

A number of senior NDC MPs came to the chamber quite late and were in somber mood throughout the sitting.

The leaders of the minority NPP were seen teasing some of the NDC senior MPs for missing out on the recent ministerial appointments.

After the sitting, some NDC MPs were seen in groups discussing the matter, while others left the premises of parliament immediately after the day’s proceedings.

The Daily Guide gathered that most of the senior NDC MPs in the region had been embarrassed by this particular appointment which according to them, meant they are ‘useless’ and do not matter, despite their immense contribution to the party in the Western Region.

“Some of us have worked for this party with all our resources and time and this is the reward that we get,” one of them, who is serving his third term in parliament, lamented to Daily Guide.

An aggrieved NDC MP from the western Region told this paper, “we have the regional minister and now two deputy ministers coming from the Sefwi area while there is no appointment from the Brosa and Ahanta areas of the region at all.”

“How can we have two deputy MPs from the same constituency which was split into two?” another MP queried, adding that some of the Sefwi MPs who had worked for the party in diverse ways and had been in parliament for a very long time now, felt completely slighted by the appointment.

Meanwhile, the aggrieved MPs have threatened to advise themselves accordingly as far as party work is concerned.

The newly appointed ministers and deputy ministers will be vetted by the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Thursday, April 9 and Friday, April 10, 2015.

Source: Daily Guide