An Avoidable Embarrassment

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is yet to come to terms with the fact that an official party directive to its members of the Minority Group to NOT approve any of the new ministerial nominees President Akufo-Addo had put up for approval had been flouted by almost 40 of its members.

The shock is grave to an extent the party’s General Secretary, the Minority Leader Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson and former President John Mahama have all issued statement to express their disappointment and condemnation.

In the opinion of The New Publisher, this embarrassment and what appears to be a betrayal by a minority among the Minority would have been avoided if the NDC had not issued its Sunday, February 19 statement which made it seem the party was publicly dictating to Parliamentarians what to do on the Floor instead of lobbying for such negotiations off camera.

The spirit of the statement was not wrong as far as it was calling for a reduction in the size of Ministers and deputy Ministers in Presient Akufo-Addo’s Government.

Even the Majority Group, would agree behind closed doors that it is very possible to reduce the size of Government without limiting its effectiveness or output.

But this brilliant call could have been made without the ‘big brother’ dictatorial tone the party adopted. It was needless. It sounded as though the Minority Group could not think on its own and do what is right but has to be dictated to by a group from outside Parliament.

In any case, what is the prudence in issuing a directive that cannot be enforced?

How strategic is it for the party to walk itself into a corner where it is possible to call the bluff of its leaders and made them seem as weak and not being in charge?

The outcome of that February 19 party directive has not been helpful politically.
Here we are; it has been flouted, snubbed and ignored.

It has caused bruised the egos of the party leaders who are now threatening to witch-hunt persons suspected to have flouted the directive.

Is that what the NDC should focus its energy, time and resources on by this time of the campaign calendar? Looking for suspected in-house enemies so as to ‘put the fear of God’ in them may be politically suicidal.

We wish to humbly remind the NDC that a house divided against itself cannot stand. Deciding to search, punish and antagonize its own MPs who voted against the party’s directive would mean navigating a dark slippery slope that leads to the arena of Macabre Dance.

Your egos, as party leaders have been bruised. Lick your wounds and move on.

Fashioning weapons to be used against suspected fifth-columnists is not what would get everyone along to win victory for the party. It divides the house some more. It widens the seeming cracks. It destroys.

It is rather a time for honest sober reflection on whether the open public statement to direct MPs on how to vote was the best way to have handled such matters…