New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament (MP) must rescind their decision to abstain from the House’s vetting committee and perform their duties as expected of them while awaiting the verdict of the Supreme Court, a group by name Probity and Accountability Platform has advised.
It argued that if the minority insisted on boycotting the sittings of the committee in support of their leading members who have petitioned the Supreme Court on the 2012 presidential elections, then they should resign from parliament.
Addressing the media in Accra today, the Spokesperson for the group, Mr Kafui Mensah, described the NPP MP’s action as insincere because they readily participate in deliberations that directly benefited them “but boycott anything that will benefit you and me”.
Within 21 days after President John Mahama had been declared winner of the 2012 presidential elections by the Electoral Commission (EC), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, 2012 presidential candidate of the NPP and his running mate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia together with the party’s National Chairman, Mr Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey petition the Supreme Court challenging the results.
The NPP subsequently boycotted the investiture of President Mahama on January 7, 2013. When President Mahama communicated to Parliament about the lists of his designated ministers, the NPP threatened to boycott the vetting and true to their words they have so far refused to participate in the deliberations of the committee.
The move attracted pleas from a pro NPP pressure group, Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) and the Ghana Bar Association for the party to rescind its decision. On his part a founding member of the NPP, Mr Charles Wireko-Brobby took a swipe at the party for that decision and called their move “nonsensical”.
Articulating the views of the Probity and Accountability Platform, Mr Mensah, said ironically the NPP MPs attended their own inauguration ceremony which was at midnight, yet they boycotted President Mahama’s investiture which was under broad day light.
“They have attended End of Service Benefits Committee and car loan meetings..., they are also collecting a whopping Ghc 50,000 for rent allowance as MPs yet have gone missing when needed to work, this is unpatriotic,” he added.
He said it was the constitutional rights for the NPP and all its members to go to court if they had qualms with the conduct and outcome of the elections but such right should not be abused to impede the business of government.
Mr Mensah said the group was gradually getting worried and embarrassed by the unconstitutional mentality in which the NPP was using its MPs to undermine and sabotage the peace and tranquillity of the state.
He reminded the NPP MPs that that they were voted for by most likely the same people who voted for Nana Akufo-Addo and their MPs have accepted that the NDC had more seats that the NPP which culminated in the NDC nominating a Speaker of Parliament.
No comments:
Post a Comment