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Finance Minister’s approval and resultant confusion in NDC
The opposition National Democratic Party (NDC) is suspected to be in turmoil, as the majority of its supporters who voted for the party in the December 7, 2020 elections, are not happy with current developments and also the way some of the leaders, especially those in parliament are misconducting themselves. Also, not happy, are some executives and parliamentarians of the party. The MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzato Ablakwa, is reported to have resigned from the Parliamentary Appointment’s Committee and tended his resignation letter to the Speaker.
The supporters felt betrayed by most of their leaders at the helm of affairs in parliament who they alleged for either some personal or selfish motives are beginning to sell their rights and conscience to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus in parliament.
ELECTION PETITION
Coming from the backdrop of the recent presidential election petition at the Supreme Court of Ghana which saw the party losing the case to the NPP, the members who were already agitated by the verdict, felt they could rely on the leadership of the party with the speaker Hon Alban Sumani Kingsford Bagbin who happened to be a member of the party as their backbone to frustrate the NPP and indeed, the ruling government through strong opposition in parliament. However, that seemed not to be the case as the NDC leadership in parliament was rather playing the ostrich. The supporters have accused the leadership of party of playing into the hands of the NPP parliamentary caucus.
The genesis of the problem emanated from the NDC side of the Appointment’s Committee headed by the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, who they alleged to be ‘rubber stamping’ all the presidential nominees for ministerial appointments who appeared before them without taking into consideration their incompetency, inconsistency in their deliveries and also failure to provide documents to support their deliveries when requested by the committee to produce them.
KEN OFORI-ATTA’S APPROVAL
The recent parliamentary approval by consensus of Mr Ken Ofori-Atta as the Minister for Finance, has generated upheavals in the party, added salt to injury and worsened the already volatile and agitated posture of the rank and file of the supporters and the party in general.
His approval followed a unanimous recommendation by the Appointment’s Committee of Parliament of which the NDC caucus was part of it. The committee, we are told, last Monday, March 29, 2021, presented its report to parliament as a whole which was endorsed by a voice vote.
The nominee who returned to Ghana for his vetting following his treatment in the United States of America (USA) for post COVID-19 health complications, faced an unprecedented two-day vetting before the Appointment’s Committee.
RESERVATIONS ABOUT MINISTER’S RESPONSES
It is recalled that during his recent vetting, several MPs from the minority side raised reservations over some of the responses by the minster-designate. The Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, described the minister as having performed unsatisfactorily when he appeared before the committee. He insisted that Mr Ofori-Atta must furnished the committee with details on the recruitment of Mackenzie as revenue collector for the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
REMARKS BY MINORITY LEADER
Hear the minority leader; “Mr Speaker, I beg to second the approval of the President’s nominee (Ken Ofori-Atta) as minister designate for Finance and Mr Speaker in doing so, as you may recall, our side of the appointment’s committee requested for some of the information related to Ken Ofori-Atta as Minister of Finance, we have accordingly recommended that he should be approved by consensus. But, Mr Speaker, it does not mean we are satisfied with his performance as Finance Minister. He probably will go and bear the brunt of his mismanagement of the Ghanaian economy in the last four years, he will bear the brunt of his inability to reconcile his fiscal data. He bears the brunt for not providing enough details of how much the Bank of Ghana financed the government of Ghana in the 2020 period”.
“We will demand more information on this matter, because we are convinced that he is in breach of law, in breach of the Bank of Ghana Act, in breach of their fiscal responsibility Act and in breach of their Public Financial Management Act,” he said.
INTERROGATION OF HARUNA IDDRISU’S REMARKS
Indeed, the matters and issues arising from the Minority Leader’s remarks cannot be allowed to go without proper scrutiny. This is because, if all those breaches in the law are carefully examined by the committee, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta’s appointment could not have been approved by parliament since there were outstanding issues to be clarified by him. Where then lies the justification in his approval when documents the committee requested him to submit were not made available by the minister-designate.
To add salt to injury, the General Secretary of the NDC was heard saying that the decision to approve the nomination of Mr Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister, was the collective decision of the party. That clearly shows that the leadership of the NDC caucus in parliament can be influenced at any time when it comes to decision making in the house. This, the members considered as most unfortunate.
To them, this current parliament is just behaving like the previous ones which compromised on proper scrutiny, check and balances and due regard to incompetency of nominees that appeared before them in the past and did wholesale appointments.
SAMMY GYAMFI’S ANGER
Reference can be made to the last vetting some weeks ago, which prompted the Communication Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, together with some party members to register their protests and displeasure on the decision taken by the NDC leadership in Parliament led by Haruna Iddrisu to approve some ministers-designate whose questions had earlier been raised about them by the NDC side of the committee.
These appointees included the current Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hawa Mavis Koomson and the Agriculture Minister, Dr Owusu Akoto Afriyie.
The alleged betrayal by the NDC leadership in parliament prompted the communication officer to issue a strong statement urging the rank and file of the party not to allow them to succeed in their parochial quest to destroy the party that has done so much for them. “The shame they have brought on the party will forever hang like an albatross around their necks,” says Sammy Gyamfi.
According to him they brazenly defied the leadership of the party and betrayed the collective good for their selfish interest.
APPOLOGY BY HARUNA IDDRISU
But in reaction to that statement from Sammy Gyamfi, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, appealed for forgiveness from the supporters and the grassroots of the NDC over their failure to reject some ministers-designate who appeared before the committee. He said the disappointment by some members of the party was justified and assured that the NDC side of the Appointment Committee would do well not to disappoint the party in the future.
Therefore, what has changed now in view of the assurance given by Hon. Haruna Iddrisu on behalf of other colleagues of his party not to betray the course of the party? Members, especially the grassroots are waiting with bated breath for explanation.
The question that needs an answer is, Is the major opposition party, the NDC, in turmoil?
BY CHARLES NEEQUAYE
THE state of feeling rejected, could be a terrifying experience especially for those who have become used to fame. If not properly addressed, it could lead to depression and the consequences, could be disastrous.
When you are on top of your game in whatever profession you find yourself such that you become famous, a lot of people try to associate with you. The phone never ceases to ring and one is tempted to feel loved and very important.
When a disaster strikes and the fame or the money which was the source of the attraction fades away, the circle of friends and fans begin to shrink and the phone will start to stop ringing until the call stops voting completely.
You will be shocked at how people you considered friends, will no longer be calling you or pay casual visits as they used to. You will begin to notice that messages you leave after calling them and not getting a response are not replied to and that is when you begin to know who your true friends are.
One of the most popular movie stars was an actress called Sharon Stone. In an interview with one of the media houses that was published, she spoke about how people who should have come around to encourage her in her moment of depression, shunned her. The calls stopped coming.
This is what the Bible admonishes that the arm of flesh will fail you and therefore we should put our trust in God. It could be a very frightening experience and can easily lead to depression.
Human nature being what it is, people will want to get close if things are okay. Everybody wants to associate themselves with interesting things, famous people, rich people etc for mainly selfish reasons.
We need to develop the habit of putting our trust in God and relying less on human beings. The lesson we have to take along in life is that, no one marries his or her enemy so how come people who took vows that they will love each other become so hostile to each other that they want to go their separate ways in life? Such is the reality of life.
It is therefore prudent for people to recognise that, life is full of uncertainties and so there is the need to prepare your mind for uncertainties so that when they occur, they do not disorganise your mental sanity.
A lot of people have experienced situations where people who they could have sworn will never betray their trust have disappointed them when they were through challenging moments.
If there is one thing famous people should desire, it should be the ability to identify who are true friends are. Countless stories abound regarding incidence of celebrities who have lost their shine and their wives divorcing them soon after.
It is sometimes useful as a famous or rich person to sign a prenuptial agreement before marriage to safeguard or protect yourself from any future unpleasant surprises.
People can be very pretentious these days, it goes both ways. There is this real life story where a man married a divorced wealthy woman and convinced her to sell her house so they could build a new one together, with the excuse that people are gossiping that he is being housed by a woman.
The woman agreed and they put up a new building. After a few years the man asked for a divorce, only for the woman to realise that the land on which the building was situated, was bought in the man’s name.
This can drive a person insane, if you are not mentally tough and this happens to you. When people hear that you are homeless, a lot of your so-called friends will stop calling, so that you do not become a burden on them.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
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‘But, er …. I don’t even know your name’.
‘Paul. Paul Allotey. I’m Sarah, by the way. Paul, why don’t you leave me here, since this is the last important thing I’m doing today’.
‘Okay. Now Sarah. I was just thinking. You will be here at the cafe for about an hour. By then it will be about twelve thirty. Then, you would be thinking of buying yourself some lunch, to eat here or to take home. So if you would please allow me, I will take you to one of the nicest eating places in town, and after you have sorted that one out, then I can drop you home. Just that one errand, then I won’t bother you again’.
‘You are not bothering me at all. You are being very kind to me. And I just realised you are a mind reader too. The last item on my agenda was lunch’.
‘I’m so glad I appeared at your doorstep, just in time’.
‘Okay. Now Paul, since you say the cafe is a comfortable place, let’s go in together, and you can do your work while I get my application done’.
‘Okay, Sarah. Thanks. Let’s go’.
We got back in the car at eleven forty-five.
‘So where are we going, Paul?’
‘To Royalty restaurant. It’s a twenty minute drive away’.
‘So, do you enjoy your job?’
‘Most certainly. I won’t change it, not even to be President. And am I right to say that you are preparing to enter the university?’
‘That’s my plan. I hope it works’.
‘It will, if you are determined, and disciplined. You look very much like a disciplined person’.
‘Thank you very much’.
We arrived at Royalty in twenty-five minutes, ‘You are joining me for lunch, Paul’.
‘Thanks for the honour, Sarah. But the bill is on me’.
‘Aren’t you taking on too much for one day?’
‘I never do anything that is bigger than me, Sarah’.
Over the next hour and a half, we discussed fashion, local and international politics, and sports, as we ate and relaxed. Finally, he drove me to the shop.
‘I will never forget you, Paul’.
‘I’m glad to have been helpful. But if you don’t mind, I’ll say it again, your husband is extremely lucky. You are really beautiful’.
‘Thanks again. But do you mind if I call you sometime in the future?’
‘Certainly not. Let me write it here. I will not ask for your number, for obvious reasons. But I will be looking forward to hearing from you. And hopefully, I will see you next month, when I call to drop your bill’.
‘Okay Paul. See you then’. What a lovely day, I said to myself as I opened the front door. I closed the shop and got home by seven. I went straight to the bedroom, stood in the mirror and took a good look at myself. ‘You are a very beautiful woman, Sarah. Never forget that’. I will not forget that, again.
Over the next several weeks, Martin and I had very little to do with each other. In the morning he ate his breakfast and after a shabby ‘I’m going’, he left. He came home around eight at the earliest, ate his dinner and, already soaked in beer, went off to sleep.
He spent the greater part of the weekends at the club house with his friends, playing tennis and partying. My mind was focused on furthering my education, so I didn’t complain to him, and didn’t bother to inform my parents about what was happening. I had decided that I would only take action if he lifted his hand against me again. I spent my free time reading all manner of interesting stuff on the internet, and chatting with my sister on WhatsApp.
One evening, he came home at about eight, rushed to the bedroom and rushed out. An envelope, obviously containing money, dropped out of his pocket, and I picked it up and followed him. I was going to call him and give it to him, but I noticed that there was a young woman in the car, so I went back in, counted it and put it in a drawer in the hall. He came back after some ten minutes.
‘Excuse me, I dropped an envelope containing money. You must have seen it’.
‘Yes, I saw it. Actually, I followed you, and was about to call you and hand it over to you when I realised that there was a woman in the car, so I came back in. I counted it. One thousand cedis.
‘Well let me have it. I have to be going’.
‘I will let you have it if you will tell me who the woman in the car is, and why you are going to give her that amount of money’.
‘Listen, if you waste my time, I will teach you a lesson you will never forget. Give me the money now!’
‘Here’s what we will do, Martin. I know you will give money to her anyway, so I will give it to you, if you will withdraw the threat you just issued. But I want you to know that I will be taking some steps from tomorrow. Things are getting out of hand’.
‘Okay, I’m sorry I threatened you. Can you please give me the money’. I handed it over to him, and he ran out’.
The following morning, I waited for him to finish having breakfast, and told him I wanted to have a word with him urgently.
‘You better be quick. You know I’m going to work’.
‘Well, I want to inform you that I will inform my parents, and your parents, about the situation in this house. As I said yesterday, things are getting out of hand. You spend most of your time drinking. You get drunk every evening, and through the weekend. And you are also spending your time and money on a prostitute’.
‘How dare you? One more stupid word from you …’
‘Am I lying, Martin? You have just started life, yet you are behaving like a rich, elderly man who has already seen his children through university, and can afford a life of fun. As I said, I’m going to inform our parents. Maybe your parents can straighten you out before it is too late’.
‘Look, we can talk this evening. It’s nothing like what you are saying’. He walked away, shocked.
That evening, I was expecting to have a meaningful discussion with him, but his mother called early in the evening to offer me some ‘advice’. Her son had called to say that certain developments at home were disturbing him so much that they were beginning to affect his work.
And, ‘as a loving mother to her daughter’, she was advising me to submit to my husband, and support him in prayer, and not ‘drive him from home’. Men would always be men, and she was telling me ‘from experience’ that no matter how much time Martin stayed away from home, he would always come home to me.
She had been a young wife before, so she understood the challenges I was facing. So I could be assured that if I followed her advice, all would be well. And, of course, she didn’t allow me to tell my side of the story.
Martin came home very late, and very drunk. And from the next morning, he carried on as before. With some hesitation, I called my dad and told him all that had gone on.
‘Well, my daughter. I’m not going to say “I told you so”. I was only trying to protect you. So here’s what we’ll do. Continue doing the best you can, and try not to give him any excuse to harm you, but if things continue to deteriorate, I will take you back.
A couple of days later, my cousin Dinah arrived in Accra from Brussels, having completed her medical course. With Martin’s agreement, I went to Koforidua and spent a couple of days. I spent most of the time chatting about her experiences in the US, but we also discussed my relationship with Martin, and she endorsed Dad’s decision to take action if Martin’s behaviour did not change after two weeks Elaine informed Mom and Dad. We endorsed Dad’s decision to take action if there was no change in two weeks.
Dinah returned with me to Takoradi. Her plan was to spend a couple of weeks, and return to Accra to be posted. I called Paul Allotey, and asked if he would meet her for lunch and, if possible, show her some interesting spots. Delighted, he suggested that we meet at Royalty the next day.
I told Martin about it, to remove any possibility of future disagreement over ‘going out with men’.
‘It’s fine with me’, he said, ‘if, of all the people who could show your sister round this town, you chose a borla man. Doesn’t that indicate the kind of person you are?’
‘ First of all, Martin’, I’ve spoken to him a few times, and he comes across as a decent guy, so I think it is rather unfortunate that you are writing him off when you don’t know him’.
By Ekow de Heer
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