Chants of ‘Daa n’ase’ and White Hankies: How NDC MPs welcomed Ato to Parliament

After what for them was a long battle with the law, and from what they believed all along was a prosecution in error, Members of Parliament on the Minority side could not hide their joys as they welcomed their leader back to the floor of the House.

This was after his victory at the Court of Appeal, in the case of some procured ambulances for the state between 2014 and 2016.

The government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo decided to prosecute the former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, on charges of willfully causing financial loss to the state and intentionally misapplying public property.

After years of legal tussles, the Court of Appeal acquitted and discharged Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the first accused in the case, and Richard Jakpa, third accused, on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.

And for his colleague MPs in Parliament (those on the Minority side), this was more than welcome news for them for a few reasons.

The first is that their boycott of parliamentary proceedings on days that Forson appeared in court for the case, in protest, comes to an end.

And the other major reason is the confirmation of their conviction about the case all along; that their leader was innocent.

So, when the case was decided on Tuesday, July 30, it was more than a moment of celebration for them as they welcomed their Minority Leader, who is also the MP for Ajumako Enyan Essiam, back to the Chamber of Ghana’s Parliament.

Singing melodies of ‘Daa n’ase’ in harmony, and with every one of them standing on their feet, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs waved around their white handkerchiefs in praises.

It was a brief moment in the House but it sure did make a huge difference for Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, who, in reacting to the news of his acquittal from the case, quoted the Bible in Romans 9:14, which reads:

“What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!”

See the video of the moment Ato Forson was welcomed back to Parliament, as captured by GhanaWeb's Parliamentary Correspondent, Nimatu Yakubu Atouyese, below:



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