Majority accuses Minority of being under pressure from Gabby Asare Otchere Darko

The Majority in Parliament has accused the Minority MP's of being under pressure from the former Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, Gabby Asare Otchere Darko.

The leading member of the Opposition party and a close relative to the party's flagbearer, last Thursday on an Accra-based Oman FM's Boiling Point programme, subjected the 123 NPP MP's, led by Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, of doing little for the party's electoral fortunes, at a time when workers and the nation in general needed them most, to mount a credible opposition to the Mahama led government.

“I think it is the heights of irresponsibility that up till now, we haven't heard from the Minority: if Minority leader and his Finance Committee are listening, they should do something. At the end of the day, we don't want a situation where anytime we hear the NPP, it is about internal matter or at best, they are speaking against NDC…….I am telling you so far, we have seen Minority in this country, especially under J. H. Mensah. I think so far, some of us are not impressed in terms of collective opposition being giving by the [current]Minority in Parliament and I think they have to up their game.” he said on the program.

Speaking to host of the programme, Kwabena Kwakye, Gabby was full of praise for some Civil Society Organizations, who had taken over the work of the opposition NPP.

“If it wasn't for civil society, Occupy Ghana, IMANI and Trade Unions, this government could have gotten away with so many things. The type of opposition we are getting from the NPP is the height of opposition irresponsibility”

He singled out Franklin Cudjoe's IMANI Ghana saying, “We have to commend IMANI a lot. IMANI, we have to commend them a lot, because when they started talking about it, the workers did not even understand what IMANI meant, because they have been talking for well over two or three years now”.

The unkind words, drew the venom from a section of the NPP MP's including the Deputy Minority Leader, Dominic Nitiwul who claimed they had been equal to the task of putting the ruling NDC government on its toes through several press conferences and being behind the many demonstrations and strike actions in the country.

“He should go and ask Nana Akuffo Addo whether the issue of the strike and the issue of the pension were not discussed at the Steering Committee? Why can't we as a party find out information, you come and run down the Minority like this, who said they didn't discuss and the party didn't take strategy?

Listen, I and the Minority have taken a decision that there is nothing that even whether is a press conference or anything, we will not do anything without running through the flagbearer, he should ask him before coming on air to insult us like this, it is not a good thing,” Mr Nitiwul fumed.

Countering Gabby's claims of laxity with claims that the Minority MPs have held, at least 15 press conferences on national issues, Mr Nitiwul dared Gabby to come up with statistics that show that IMANI or any CSO has done better than the Minority in taking on government on national issues.

But the Member of Parliament for Keta believes last Wednesday's demonstration by AFAG which was well patronized by the MP's showed that they had succumbed to the whims and caprices of Mr Asare Otchere Darko.

“You know Gabby has lambasted all of them, Gabby who obviously seems to be the power broker as far as the Akuffo Addo machinery is concerned has already lambasted them. He's described them as “good for nothing's,” he's described them as they not knowing what they are about and so they have to demonstrate some machoism to prove to Gabby that they are able to do the things that he wants them to do,” Richard Mawuli Quarshigah told Live News' Parliamentary Correspondent, Ekow Annan.

The National Propaganda Secretary of the NDC further lambasted the NPP MP's for demonstrating at the detriment of parliamentary work.

“They all have become slaves to Otchere Darko and so they have to prove to him, that they are up and doing so they've got to go out there demonstrating instead of being in parliament,” Mr Quarshigah said.

In a sharp rebuttal however, the Member of Parliament for Akim Swedru, Kennedy Osei Nyarko described the accusations from the Majority as baseless.

“I don't know what he means by we neglecting our parliamentary business. I believe he has some good money that he is enjoying so he doesn't care about the ordinary people.”

Also speaking to Live News' Ekow Annan, Mr Osei Nyarko said as representatives of the people, they had a right to demonstrate to show disapproval of how the hardships of President Mahama was affecting the ordinary Ghanaian.

“I am a parliamentarian, because of some people from my constituency. I represent them and when I go there, I see their plight. They have sent me to come to the House and represent them, so if they are going through a hellish situation, they are finding it difficult to feed themselves and their family why shouldn't I demonstrate on their behalf,” he said.

The NPP MP then turned the guns on his colleague MP, Richard Quarshigah.

“We want to draw government's attention to the hardship people are suffering. I have taken part for my people and you come to say that we are abandoning our parliamentary duty. That person is a joker, the joker of the century. My people from Akyem Swedru cannot travel from Akyem Swedru to take part, am representing them here in Accra so my presence there, represents my people in Akyem Swedru,” he said.

Ekow Annan/Live FM
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