The Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) has resolved not to participate in the business of Parliament anytime the member for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson is in court.
The entire minority group, he said, will abandon Parliamentary business and accompany Gyakye Quayson to court anytime he goes to court for his criminal trial.
The caucus warned that amid persecution aimed at some of its members, cooperation in the House will certainly suffer.
Minority leader, Casiel Ato Forson disclosed this in Parliament during the swearing-in of MP-elect for Assin North Gyakye Quayson on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.
Mr. Quayson took the oath of allegiance and the oath of a Member of Parliament administered by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.
The occasion became the second time that Gyakye Quayson was sworn into office after taking the oath on January 7, 2021 for the first time.
Making a brief statement on the swearing-in, the Minority leader said, “Mr. Speaker, I wish to serve notice that the entire Minority Group in Parliament will accompany our colleague to court today and any other day that he is to appear in Court.”
The Minority leader condemned what he said were machinations by proxies of the government to break the resolve of Mr. Quayson before the by-election, including the government launching a frontal attack by instituting criminal charges against him and urging the High Court to hear the matter on a daily basis.
“It is not surprising the people of Assin North reaffirmed their confidence in him at the just ended by-election on 27th June 2023 with a wider margin. They voted massively for him and he obtained a whopping 57.56% of the valid votes cast,” he said.
He noted that Gyakye Quayson’s victory has sent a clear message to all politicians particularly the government that they cannot be hoodwinked by the sharing of money nor be intimidated by threats.
“It is the same message that Ghanaians are sending that in 2024 they will exercise their franchise based on their conscience and no amount of trick nor threats will dissuade them from voting out the current administration.”
“Ghanaians are appalled by the abysmal economic mismanagement, poor governance, and increasing level of corruption, leading to unprecedented economic hardships being experienced by the people.”
Time, he said, has come for the political class to rethink the worsening monetization of the country’s election and its negative implications for its democracy.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minority leader Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah has indicated the Minority caucus will support its three members being prosecuted at the courts.
According to him, the Caucus members will henceforth abandon Parliamentary business and accompany Casiel Ato Forsin, Collins Dauda, and Gyakye Quayson anytime they attend a country hearing.
The three are being prosecuted on various criminal charges.