Former Member of Parliament for the Adenta constituency, Hon. Adu Asare has coined the NPP’s failure to appear before the appointment committee as an “irresponsible” act, which depicts how narrow- minded the NPP is.
The deputy Speaker of Parliament and Chairman of the Appointment Committee, Ebo Barton Oduro, announced before the vetting process began on Thursday that the Minority Leader, Hon. Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu had informed him of their decision not to be part of the process.
The Minority in Parliament and NPP members on the Appointment Committee decided not to participate in the exercise stating that the December 7 presidential election in which President Mahama emerged winner is being challenged at the Supreme Court. The Minority have signaled their intention of further boycotts as a means of protesting the outcome of the December 2012 polls.
Again, the New Patriotic Party, via its chairman have clarified the reason behind their boycott by stating that their decision, not to participate in the vetting of President John Mahama’s ministerial nominees was based on “firm principles”; which is fully consistent with their “commitment to deepen and improve the country’s evolving democracy”.
In a letter, signed personally by the National Chairman of the NPP, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey on 25th January, 2013, he stated that “they (NPP members of Parliament) will, however, not participate in any activities or deliberate on matters that involve the constitution of President Mahama’s government, like vetting of Ministers of state”.
But speaking on a political talk show on Joy FM, Hon Adu Asare challenged the morality behind the NPP’s decision and maintained it is intolerant for them to boycott such a national event. He explained that if the NPP MP’s want to be taken serious in the public eye, they shouldn’t have stepped forward to be sworn in as parliamentarians after the elections. He further explained that it would have been better for the MPs to have waited, until the Supreme Court had declared the final verdict on the 2012 presidential elections case they have presented before it.
Hon. Adu Asare, also found it worrying that though the NPP MPs have failed to appear before the committee, they would be laughing ‘straight to the banks’ to cash out monies for no work done.