Hannah Tetteh not bigger than NDC – Anyidoho

Deputy General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) Koku Anyidoho has said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hannah Tetteh has no right to speak on behalf of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) without consulting the body.

According to him, the Foreign Minister has no business usurping the functions of the National Executives and arrogating to herself any powers to decide on issues for the National Executives.

Koku, over the weekend, served notice that ministers who see themselves bigger than the party will be cut to size soon.

According to him, ministers who have ‘grown wings’ and as a result think they can flout party rules or not align themselves with party positions will be heavily censured.

Mr. Anyidoho was commenting on the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) claim that it consulted the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hannah Tetteh as a rep for the ruling NDC, ahead of the launch of the 2016 Presidential debate, a development that has irked some National Executives of the party.

National Organizer of the NDC, Kofi Adams in an earlier interview condemned the conduct of the IEA, noting that it was about time the institute takes political parties seriously and consult them at all times whenever it initiates any program for them.

But the Executive Director of the IEA Mrs. Jean Mensah in response said Mr. Adams was not fully abreast with discussions that had taken place with some persons in government over the upcoming debate which the NDC has stated that President Mahama will not be part of.

However speaking on Neat FM Monday, a livid Koku Anyidoho stated that it was outrightly wrong for the Foreign Minister to have done any such discussions on behalf of the National Executives.

“This party will not compromise on discipline; nobody is bigger than the party…nobody. We’ll not compromise on discipline because minus discipline we cannot move forward. Party structures must be respected, me Koku Anyidoho, I cannot get up and go and make any statement on behalf of the Foreign Ministry because I have no locus there. So no minister should also come and be making statements on behalf of the National Executives without consulting us, it will not happen!

“For Jean Mensah to have the audacity to tell Kofi Adams that he does not know what he’s talking about was what got be angry, he’s my National Organizer, a Senior Party official. I will not allow anybody to deride him just like that…no way. She can’t claim that she spoke to someone, and so that person has authority more than Kofi Adams.

That person who is supposed to have spoken to Jean Mensah is she part of Functional Executive Committee (FEC) or National Executive Committee (NEC), so that is the point I’m making. We’ll not compromise on discipline, party structures must be obeyed.”