Asiedu Nketia’s appointment not bad but a wake-up call for NPP - Obiri Boahen

Deputy General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), lawyer Obiri Boahen says there is nothing wrong with Asiedu Nketia being appointed as a member of the parliamentary Service Board.

He was, however, quick to add that it was a wake-up call for the NPP.

He said if Mr. Nketia is qualified to be appointed, then there was no need for people to express any worry over the situation.

The MP for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Tamale South MP Haruna Iddrisu, former Majority leader Abraham Osei Adu, former MP for Wenchi West, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the Clerk to Parliament and the Speaker who doubles as chairman constitute the six-member Service Board.

The appointment of Mr. Nketia has been met with claims that it, “may amount to an undesired intrusion into the governance of Parliament by a political party and may not in the circumstances bode well for the independence of parliament since he [Asiedu Nketia] is the General Secretary of a major political party.”

But Mr Obiri Boahen who thinks otherwise stated that Mr. Nketia is a Ghanaian and qualified to be appointed.

Lawyer Boahen said so far as Ghanaians are the ones who are appointed to the Board and Mr. Nketia is a Ghanaian, so be it.

"Let me be honest here. As a party, the NPP must be up in doing. The NPP is in power and Asiedu Nketiah has been appointed as a member of the parliamentary Service Board. If approved, there is nothing anyone can do about it. But the question is, are we the [NPP] taking chances to do some of these things?”

"It is a wake-up call for NPP. I have been telling them these things but they claim I like talking. I don’t like talking but I mean well for the party,” he added.