The Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has issued a daring challenge to the Interior Minister, Henry Quartey, to publish the names of the persons he claims were forwarded by the NDC MPs for secret recruitment. Dr. Ato Forson criticised the minister for his response to the Minority's concerns, labelling his remarks as "empty, hollow, and laughable threats.”

Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, at a press conference on May 22, 2024, said the challenge stems from concerns raised by the Minority regarding the clandestine recruitment of foot soldiers of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) into the security services ahead of the 2024 general elections.

He highlighted the lack of transparency and fairness in the recruitment process. “These secret recruitments, which are done on the blindside of the public, are characterised by outright nepotism and procedural breaches. Instead of the Minister of the Interior addressing the concerns raised by the NDC Minority Caucus about the serious implications of the illegal recruitment for the peace and security of our country, especially with the crucial 2024 elections on the horizon, he chose to peddle outright falsehood.

“Henry Quartey's insinuation that members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have benefited from the questionable recruitment practices without providing any shred of evidence is a clear attempt to confuse the issues and divert attention. The Minister's remarks, made during interviews with FM stations on 21st May 2024, was an empty, hollow and laughable threat intended to silence legitimate criticism from the NDC Minority. “The Minority Caucus remains steadfast and cannot be silenced, not even by the Interior Minister's veiled threats and cheap blackmail.” He said.

He accused the minister of peddling falsehood by insinuating that members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have benefited from the questionable recruitment practices without providing any evidence to support his claims. “This issue is serious and deserves a substantive response, not a deflection. We therefore challenge the Minister for the Interior to publish the names of persons that he claims were forwarded by the NDC MPs for the secret recruitments. If the Minister fails to provide these names, then his statements must be seen for what they are; baseless, ridiculous, frivolous, provocative and false.

"The Minority Caucus remains steadfast and cannot be silenced, not even by the Interior Minister's veiled threats and cheap blackmail," Dr. Ato Forson asserted.

NAY/ADG