A group calling itself Youth for Leadership in Ghana (YFL) has charged National Democratic Congress (NDC) legislators to ceasefire in the wake of the recent bribery allegation against parliament’s Appointments Committee.

Bawku Central Member of Parliament (MP) Mahama Ayariga had alleged that then-Energy Minister-designate Boakye Agyarko had offered cash through Appointments Committee chairman Joe Osei-Owusu to be shared among Minority MPs on the committee.

Mr Ayariga claimed that GHS3000 was paid to each of the NDC MPs by Minority Chief Whip Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, an amount they thought was sitting allowance for MPs on the committee, but returned the monies when they heard a rumour that the amount had actually come from Mr Agyarko to influence them to endorse his nomination as minister.

Mr Osei-Owusu and Mr Muntaka have both denied the allegation.

Subsequently, Mr Ayariga, together with two other members of the committee: Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Alhassan Suhuyini, sent a petition to the Speaker to investigate the matter.

A five-member committee has been constituted to investigate the matter.

However, YFL is of the opinion that “the situation among the Minority caucus has sharply divided the NDC rank and file” as “many party members have taken sides in this developing feud”

The group further criticised leadership of the opposition NDC as it noted that “unjustifiably, some national executives and former NDC government officials who should know better, have also taken sides in this conflict and this is surely not helping matters”.

The group is, therefore, call on the Minority to unite and solve the matter amicably in “order to provide the required leadership that the NDC urgently needs right now to reorganise”.

Below is the full statement:

NDC MINORITY MUST CLOSE RANKS - YFL

FEB. 1 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

We the Youth for leadership in Ghana (YFL) wish to call on the minority caucus in parliament to close ranks in order to provide the required leadership that the NDC urgently needs right now to reorganise.

This clarion call has been necessitated by recent events which clearly reveal deep cracks and lack of unity of purpose within the NDC minority leadership.

The allegations of bribery put out by Hon. Mahama Ayariga and contradicted by Hon. Minority chief whip Muntaka Mubarak, both minority members of the appointment committee, has left many observers and supporters worried that the NDC is in total disarray.

Obviously, the situation among the minority caucus has sharply divided the NDC rank and file. Many party members have taken sides in this developing feud.

Unjustifiably, some national executives and former NDC government officials, who should know better, have also taken sides in this conflict and this is surely not helping matters.

The majority of the youth of Ghana, and of the NDC, are disappointed that the chain of command in the minority in parliament seem to have been disregarded with different members speaking publicly to the media in their personal capacity rather than as a group with one strong voice.

The YFL would like to call for absolute respect for the minority leadership in parliament and its structure. We also welcome the purported intended investigation by the speaker of parliament into these allegedly shameful and criminal acts of corruption in the house of law making.

The internal attacks on some members of the minority must stop otherwise the re-organization of the NDC for the 2020 elections will remain a mirage.

We also want to call on those living elders of the NDC with integrity to intervene and bring order to the minority caucus in parliament.

We demand that all personal and parochial interests of individual minority members of parliament must be put aside for the overriding interest of NDC and Ghana.

Signed: Kizito Akudago (Chairman - YFL)

Najeeb Yahaya (Operations Officer - YFL)