JFK explains why NPP MPs are to abstain from censure vote against Ofori-Atta

The national leadership of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) directed all majority Members of Parliament (MP) to abstain from a scheduled vote of censure targeted at embattled Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.

Thus, the party has ordered the majority whips to ensure that no caucus member participates in the exercise expected to take place today, Thursday, November 10, 2022.

Speaking in an Asempa FM interview, which GhanaWeb monitored, General Secretary of the party, Justin Kodua Frimpong, a.k.a JFK, explained that the NPP MPs will not be taking part in the censure vote against Ofori-Atta because it will mean that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is dictating to the NPP.

According to him, the NPP has its own process of assessing the president and his appointees as well as MPs who are members of the party.

He added that NPP MPs taking part in the vote of censure would mean that they accept all the accusations being made against Ofori-Atta by the NDC MPs.

“It is not NDC Members of Parliament who are going to order NPP Members of Parliament on the steps they should take. We, the leaders of the party, have listened to what our members are saying, and we will take the needed steps to address their issues. When the time comes, the government and the party will take the necessary action, but we don’t support this move by the NDC.

“Also, the NDC MPs have their reason for the motion they tabled. And so, are we saying that the reasons they gave for the censure vote, including corruption, conflict of interest and misrepresentation of figures, are what our members are going to base on to support the NDC?

“As a party, we may have our reasons why we think the finance minister should be removed. Our reasons cannot be the same as that of the NDC,” he said in Twi.

He added that the leadership of the party has confidence that the NDC will not get the required 185 votes to remove Ofori-Atta.

JFK also suggested that NPP MPs who do not adhere to the directive of the leadership will be dealt with according to the laws governing the party.

Listen to the interview below:



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