General News of Monday, 12 April 2021

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

I don’t understand Ablakwa’s letter of resignation from the Appointments Committee – Asiedu Nketia

Member of Parliament for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa Member of Parliament for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa

The leadership of the National Democratic Congress did not convey a meeting over the resignation of the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, from the Appointments Committee of Parliament, the General Secretary of the party has said.

According to him, the party did not see reason in meeting over Ablakwa’s resignation as the letter announcing his resignation was not addressed to the party or its leadership in Parliament.

He, however, assured that the issue has been resolved and the party has moved on.

“We didn’t feel the need to hold [a] meeting over that resignation at all. First of all, the letter was addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, not to the party or the leadership of the party in parliament. We haven’t had any meeting about it,” he said.

Asiedu Nketia revealed that the content of the resignation letter does not provide sufficient information to understand the basis for Ablakwa’s resignation.

He said that Ablakwa should have made it explicit in his letter why he stepped down from the committee as the reasons cited could be subjected to all kinds of interpretations.

“My personal view is that I don’t understand the letter sufficiently to be able to express an opinion. Because the letter simply said he is resigning based on principle and also on personal reasons and that he will not be participating in the vetting of deputy ministers. It is so open-ended. When you say principle, what principle are we talking about,” he said.

He added that if the resignation was in connection with the approval of the substantive ministers then it came late as the decision had already been made.

"If it has something to do [with] work that had been concluded on the vetting of the main ministers, then my humble view is that the resignation was belated and even if it wasn’t belated, it should go further to explain."