Kofi Asante Gets ECOWAS Post

Network Herald sources in Abuja Nigeria have confirmed that the Ecowas Secretariate has finalised the appointment of Mr. Abraham Kofi Asante who until Tuesday was the Member of Parliament for Amenfi-West in the Western region as the Deputy Director of Energy Resources at the ECOWAS secretariat.. According to the NH sources, the ebony black member of the ECOWAS Parliament (he’s expected to lose that position too) may assume duty by the second week in April .

Even though that could be described as a career move, Asante’s NDC party sees his resignation as a great betrayal. They contend that if Kofi Asante had no ill motives, he would have discussed his decision to resign with the leadership of the party in parliament. According to one NDC parliamentarian, while “we did not know anything till the speaker made the announcement, it is on record that Asante called from Abuja to enquire from the Majority Chief Whip whether the speaker had announced his resignation”

Both Minority leader Alban Bagbin and the high profile Member for Lawra-Nandom have described Mr. Asante’s action untimely and devoid of nationalism. Their perception of betrayal was apparently re-inforced by what they see as the former MP’s “golden silence since the NPP made their historic fuel price hike.”

MP Kumbuor continued that “as the Minority spokes person on energy it was expected that Mr. Asante would hold the government to task when the prices were announced but he failed to make himself available on the matter.” Again, it is his party’s believe that his refusal to question the rationale behind such a major national policy that has to do with the well being of Ghanaians constitute a betrayal of not only the minority NDC in parliament but the nation at large”.

But Asante’s family insists that the decision of the Amenfi-West MP to resign his position is purely on health grounds. They told the Network Herald that Mr. Asante’s physician had cautioned him on his health and suggested that he “trims” down his schedule. The leadership of the party in Parliament have however suggested to the NH that they originally planned to relieve Asante of his position as the Shadow Energy Minster because “ his failure to be present to comment on the matter put to question his reputation.