I'm disappointed in NDC Council of Elders - Kwamena Duncan

Former Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan says he is disappointed in the Council of Elders of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for failing to rebuke the party's National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi.

Sammy Gyamfi recently spewed venom on the Minority leadership in Parliament for passing the Ministerial appointees of President Nana Akufo-Addo.

He berated the NDC leadership in the Chamber saying they have betrayed the party for their selfish gains.

Sammy Gyamfi goes hard on NDC leaders

“Comrades, the betrayal we have suffered in the hands of the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, the leadership of our Parliamentary group, particularly Hon. Haruna Iddrissu and Hon. Muntaka Mubarak, and dozens of our own MPs, is what strengthens me to work hard for the great NDC to regain power.

“They brazenly defied the leadership of the party and betrayed the collective good for their selfish interest. And we, must not let them succeed in their parochial quest to destroy the NDC, the party that has done so much for them and all of us. The shame they have brought on the party will forever hang like an albatross around their necks”, Mr. Gyamfi wrote in a statement.

He called for a shakeup in the NDC leadership.

''This is the time for us to insist on the right changes in the leadership of the NDC group in Parliament or forget about them completely. The current leadership have lost their moral authority to lead and are not fit to sit on the front bench of the NDC side of the house. More importantly, it’s about time we understood, that we don’t have any NDC Speaker of Parliament. No we don’t! We have a Speaker who rode on the back of the NDC into Office to pursue his own parochial agenda and nothing more. You trust them, at your own peril.

''The hypocrites can choose to remain quiet or even condemn us for speaking up, so they can remain in the good books of the renegades. But I and all who are pained by this act of betrayal will not keep quiet, because we don’t fear anyone and don’t wish to be in their good books. If they can defy the party leadership and interest openly and subject all of us to public ridicule, then they can and must also be called out openly. The NDC party is supreme and it must be cleansed.''

Council of Elders Response

The NDC Council of Elders, in reply, issued a statement addressing Sammy Gyamfi's outburst.

"The Council and the Caucus leadership collectively agreed that the incident of 3rd March, 2021 was regrettable and unfortunate, and runs contrary to the principles and values of the party. The Caucus Leadership have since pledged to uphold the principles and values of the party in our collective bid to develop our country.

"The Council urged National Leadership of the party to resolve issues relating to the Caucus leadership in Parliament and called on the rank and file of the party to remain calm, and provide the needed support to our Caucus in order to hold the Akufo Addo government strictly to the principles of probity and accountability," the Council's statement read.

NDC Council of Elders Is A Disappointment

Speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Kwamena Duncan asked why the Council didn't make Sammy Gyamfi apologize for disrespecting the leadership.

"I am disappointed in the Council of Elders," he said, stressing what the Council should have done is to tell Sammy Gyamfi to retract his statements and render an apology.

The Council of Elders, he stated, should have rather said; ''Mr. Moral Compass of this party (Sammy Gyamfi), completely withdraw. That is not the procedure; that is not the process, withdraw and in our view, extend an apology to the Parliamentary party.''