Zanetor: My Father Would Have Asked NDC MPs To Swear On Antoa Or Take Lie-Detector Test

• NDC MP for Korlee Klottey Dr Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings has said the outcome of a secret ballot on Friday that approved six Akufo-Addo ministers shows the party is heading towards disaster
• She posted on Facebook on March 27, 2023, that her dad would have asked the NDC MPs to swear by the revered river deity, Antoa Nyamaa, or take the lie-detector test to prove they didn't vote to approve the ministers
• Dr Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings asked the party to use the outcome of the vote in Parliament last Friday as an opportunity to fix cracks in the party and forge as a united front

MP for Korle Klottey Dr Zenator Agyemang-Rawlings has expressed disappointment that the principled stance taken by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) on the president's six ministerial nominees was betrayed by some party legislators.

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The daughter of the founder of the party and former president, Jerry John Rawlings, said that had her father been alive, he would have challenged all NDC MPs to swear on Antoa (a revered river god in Ghana) to fish out those who voted against the party's intention.

"Even when he [Rawlings] was a few days away from his own death, he was still worried about Ghana! On Friday night, I felt this deep pain that maybe it was perhaps better that he was not alive to witness what had happened to the NDC. But then again, I thought perhaps had he been alive he would probably have challenged all of us to go and swear on Antoa or dared us to take a lie-detector test!" she posted on Facebook on March 27, 2023.

NDC MPs betrayed the party, Ghanaians

Dr Agyemang-Rawlings' remark follows the surprise approval of six ministers appointed by president Nana Akufo-Addo.

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The NDC felt that Akufo-Addo should take advantage of the vacancies created by the resignations of some appointees and reduce the bloated size of his government and cabinet.

The party felt that this would show Akufo-Addo's commitment to reducing the expenditure of his government as it struggles with unsustainable debt.

But the results from the secret ballot in Parliament on March 24, 2023, showed that at least 40 NDC MPs defied what the party is calling a principled stance and voted to approve the ministers.

All the nominated ministers were approved by over 50% of the majority vote cast of 272 voting MPs. Analysis of the voting outcome shows that the least approved minister, Steven Asamoah, received 53.68% 'yes' votes.

Bryan Achempong had the highest approval of 61.40% 'yes' votes.

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The NDC leadership and many Ghanaians have called the outcome a sign of deep cracks in the most likely party to take over from Nana Akufo-Addo and the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

But signing off her reflective post on Facebook, Dr Agyemang Rawlings said although the party's founder and her father is no longer alive, the party has come too far to destroy its own legacy and charged members to forge a united front around the party's principles.

"We must course correct, immediately! We need to return to the values and principles on which this party was built including honesty, accountability, integrity, discipline and commitment to our nation, Ghana!" she said.

NDC vows to honour its MPs who rejected ministers

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported in a separate story that the opposition NDC expressed disappointment about the outcome of the voting in Parliament on March 24, 2024, to approve Akufo-Addo's ministerial nominees.

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The party said in a statement dated March 25, 2023, that it will leave no stone unturned to find which MPs voted to reject the ministers for massive public commendation.

The party had taken a position that the president must cut back on the size of its appointees and directed its MPs in Parliament not to approve the six ministerial nominees, however, the voting pattern shows at least 40 NDC MPs defied this directive as all nominees received approval.

Source: YEN.com.gh