Asiedu Nketia recalls how he disagreed with Freddie Blay at the Appointments Committee

Johnson Asiedu Nketia says during his tenure as MP for Wenchi West, and member of the Appointments Committee, he had to disagree with his Committee Chairperson, Freddie Blay, who was also then the MP for Ellembelle Constituency.

Speaking on Joy News as monitored by GhanaWeb on Monday, the NDC General Secretary said:

“I was on the Appointments Committee for twelve years, there are occasions where I took a position against not only my party but the whole Parliament. So, I was one person against 199 Members of Parliament, but I succeeded in disqualifying somebody and prevented him from becoming a Minister.

There are others which I worked against and spoke openly against and told everybody in Ghana where I stood on those issues and I had to fight Freddie Blay, who was the Chairman of the Appointments Committee both in the media, on the floor of Parliament and on the floor of the Committee; everybody understood the principle I was defending.”

Asiedu Nketia referenced his record as MP to show why he disagreed with the NDC MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on his decision to resign from the Appointments Committee over personal reasons and on principle.

“The Appointments Committee approves all the Ministers by consensus and the Appointments Committee includes Hon. Ablakwa. Then you come out to resign and you say because of principle, what principle?” he asked.

He added: “If your view is that these people should not be approved, it should have reflected your position against the consensus positions at the committee and should have ventilated also on the floor of the House so that we know that this is what this man stands for.

So, if you participate in all that and you have to resign, my humble view is that you resign and offer some apology that you have acted in certain ways and also against certain principles you hold…”

John Asiedu Nketia noted the MP did not give sufficient information in his resignation letter addressed to the Speaker which found its way into the media, therefore, he cannot comprehend the basis of his resignation.

“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 hasn’t expatiated on the type of principle he is talking about…”

He further stated that if Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa’s letter means he feels that those who vetted the Ministers are not the same people to vet the Deputy Ministers, then he agrees perfectly with that “but if it is something that has already been concluded on the vetting of the main Ministers, then my humble view is that the resignation is belated”.

“If it is not belated, he should go further to explain…” Asiedu Nketia stressed.