In a statement copied to citifmonline.com, the caucus described the agreement as a betrayal of the Ghanaian people by the Akufo-Addo government.

[contextly_sidebar id=”p6LDlcK1Qp9mV5335OkBTyZ0j8BwYpKF”]The Ranking Member of the Communications Committee and Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu constituency, Alhaji A.B.A Fuseini, who signed the statement, said they have taken a decision to “unanimously and without reservation resolved to support and join Ghanaians who will be demonstrating tomorrow [Wednesday].

The demonstration is being organized by a group calling itself the Ghana First Patriotic Front (GFPF), who have chastised the government for accepting the deal, and the majority in Parliament for ratifying it despite strong resistance by the minority and a host of Ghanaians.

Parliament on Friday ratified the agreement amidst fierce resistance by the minority caucus led by Haruna Iddrisu.

Some Ghanaians had also staged a protest in front of Parliament House to kick against the ratification of the controversial agreement, but the majority caucus went ahead to ratify after the minority staged a walkout.

The demonstrators have selected Obra Spot at Kwame Nkrumah Circle as a converging point for the peaceful exercise which they say is to demonstrate to the government that Ghanaians do not support the decision.

Meanwhile, the Ashanti Regional Youth Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Brogya Genfi, has filed an application at the Supreme Court challenging the Parliamentary ratification of the Ghana-US defence cooperation agreement.

Among other things, he is seeking a declaration from the court that the Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul erred in law by laying before Parliament an unexecuted draft agreement.

Read the full statement below: 

MINORITY DECLARES SUPPORT FOR AND PARTICIPATION IN GHANA FIRST DEMONSTRATION

The Minority Caucus in Parliament wishes to confirm that it has unanimously and without reservation resolved to support and join Ghanaians who will be demonstrating tomorrow morning in Accra against the Akufo-Addo Government’s betrayal of the Ghanaian people by surrendering our sovereignty and threatening the peace and stability of Ghana under the now infamous Ghana – US Military Base Agreement.

Minority Members of Parliament will join forces with the Ghana First Patriotic Front (GFPF) and all other groups who have so far registered their displeasure by expressing their unflinching support and participation in tomorrow’s march of destiny.

As we have stated time without number, the resistance to this betrayal does not end with our walk-out in Parliament when the NPP abused its majority. We continue to explore many democratic options not limited to demonstrations, public fora, picketing, court actions and the notice we have served that a future NDC Government will urgently review this obnoxious agreement.

It must be stressed that this is a principled position and that any other country which brings a similar agreement for Ghana’s ratification will attract and face the same level of resistance.

Indeed, Ghana First!

Signed,
Alhaji A.B.A. Fuseini
Ranking Member, Communications Committee, Parliament.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He said Mr. Quaitoo’s fate is a lesson to politicians to be mindful when making comments on national issues.

[contextly_sidebar id=”WXvezcv92XJyMamo6fImWNhlBYwgLyZt”]The Akim Oda MP tendered in his resignation on Thursday, following pressure from the Minority, and some civil society groups for making ethnocentric comments, which was triggered during a conversation on how government has dealt with the fall army worm invasion in the three regions of the North.

He stated that calls on government to pay compensation for farmers who lost their crops in the three regions of the north, were simply a ploy to fleece the state.

“Our brothers [in northern Ghana], it is so difficult to deal with them. I lived there for 27 years, I speak Dagbani like a Dagomba and all that. They are very difficult people. Nobody can substantiate. If anybody says that his farm was destroyed by armyworm, the person would have to come and prove it. We have no records of that. It’s just a way of taking money from the government; that’s what they do all the time,” he said.

Mr. Quaitoo subsequently apologized for his comments but many Ghanaians demanded that he resigns.

He thus resigned on Tuesday.

The Member of Parliament for Sangarigu, A. B. A. Fuseini, who also condemned the deputy minister’s comment, said the development must teach politicians to be measured in their speech, and demonstrate humility when engaging citizens.

“Those in public office should be minded by the need to be decorous, to be respectful in their utterances. As a public officer, anytime you are going to speak to people, you must show them respect and courtesy. You must eschew arrogance. Don’t think that you are going to talk down on people especially when you are talking about the sensibilities of an entire geographical region as the North, I think you should be extra careful about your utterances,” he said.

Deputy Agric Minister resigned voluntarily – Eugene Arhin

Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, has told Citi News the immediate past Deputy Agric Minister, William Quaitoo, resigned on his own volition.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Quaitoo’s resignation a lesson for politicians – NDC MP appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Madam Afeku, during her vetting on Monday, confessed to Parliament’s Appointments Committee that she did not enroll onto the mandatory National Service Scheme as she was in Kenya at the time.

Madam Afeku, however expressed her readiness to undertake the 12-month national service if given the opportunity.

But speaking to Citi News shortly after the Minority’s boycott of Otiko Djaba’s approval as the Gender Minister on Tuesday following similar troubles with the National Service Act 426, Alhaji Fuseini said, Madam Afeku is also not qualified for the job.

“Anybody who has been engaged in infraction of the law is not qualified to hold public office. It is clear if you have flouted the law. You have to go and purge yourself before you come back. As legislators, we must be the first in line in defence of the law. If we allow infractions of the law to get away and we ourselves are involved in the brazen infraction of the law, then we are perpetuating something very dangerous for our democracy,” he said.

Similar concerns with the National Service Scheme enrollment were raised with Otiko Djaba, following her vetting, but she secured an exemption from the National Service Scheme after the Minority had kicked against her approval for the Gender Ministry portfolio.

Alhaji Fuseini, however, rubbished the waiver granted Otiko Djaba, saying it came too late.

“At the time she appeared before the appointments committee to be vetted and approved or otherwise, what was her status? She did not do national service at the time she appeared before the appointments committee.”

“So if at the time you were appearing before the committee, you were unsuitable, how then do you go and say after that you received a waiver. You should have gotten the waiver before appearing before the committee,” the NDC MP argued.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Afeku broke NSS law, she must not be approved – A.B.A. Fuseini appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.