Why Asiedu Nketiah, two others rejected ministerial positions under Atta Mills govt

Former National Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Yaw Boateng Gyan has recounted the sacrifices he and some other leading members of the party made to keep the party afloat.

Yaw Boateng Gyan, in an Atinka FM interview, revealed that Johnson Asiedu Nketiah rejected a ministerial position under the Atta Mills government to serve the party as General Secretary.

He recounted that upon assumption of office in 2009, late President Mills decided to reward all those who in one way or the other played a role in the party’s conquest.

This led to several people, particularly, the national executives being offered positions. While seven of them accepted the ministerial positions, three decided to stay to keep the wheels of the party in motion.

“The opportunity came for us to be ministers. President Mills didn’t share the positions before he won the elections. Our focus was to win the election and serve Ghana and everyone can attest to the fact that he really served the country.

“I wasn’t expecting him to give me a position but after we won he offered me an appointment but I declined. Most of the people who fought to bring him to power at the party headquarters went for ministerial positions.

“So we felt that if we all go, the party would lose the institutional memory. They were about seven people who went from national executives to ministers. Dr Kwabena Agyei who was our chairman said there would be a problem if we all leave for ministerial posts. Asiedu Nketiah was offered a ministerial post but he turned it down.

“Myself, Dr Kwabena Agyei and Asiedu Nketiah sacrificed to be at the party’s headquarters. If we all left, there’d be a new team of executives and it was going to be difficult for them to manage the party. So it was the Chairman, General Secretary, and National Organizer who stayed,” he said.

After seventeen years as General Secretary of the NDC, Asiedu Nketiah was on Sunday, December 18, 2022, elected as National Chairman of the party.

General Mosquito, as he is fondly called beat Ofosu-Ampofo to the position. He has vowed to work with the other executives to win the 2024 elections for the NDC.

KPE