The Young Democrats, a pro NDC group, has said working in tandem with the party’s apparatchiks and caucuses should be the major concern with the Presidential Committee making the appointments for ministerial positions.
They said there seems to be a deliberate effort to alienate the party’s policy makers and planners, but this is unfortunate for the NDC is a big party with several interconnected groups and careful deliberations and consultations are needed before major decisions are made.
In a phone interview with the GNA, the Convener of the group, Mr Sam Atukwei Quaye, said ministerial appointments are done with broad consultations and agreements, and when the need arises, the entire team then explains to the public the reasons for certain actions and resolutions.
He said with the way Dr Sulley Gariba, alone is moving from station to station defending the current ministerial appointments does not sound right and it suggests that the entire appointments could have come from his initiative.
Mr Quaye said it is quite evident that in a party with capable and qualified people like PV Obeng, Dr Tony Aidoo, Totobi Quakye, Larry Adjetey and the Ahwoi brothers amongst several others, with decades of experiences in handling the affairs of both the party and the country, have been ignored in the selecting qualified people to help govern the country.
He said "this is a cause for concern and it would explode if we do not work to rectify it for the actions of those at the helm of affairs should reflect with the vision and manifesto of the party they have joined".
Mr Quaye said this "is not about targeting people but it is about protecting the image of the party and presenting a united front, for we the Young Democrats feel that after emerging from a hard fought electoral battle, consultations rather than alienation and divisions should be the order of the day.
He said the group was not happy with the appointment of the three wise men saying "it is meaningless and if Dr Gariba had consulted the appropriate sectors, we would have presented better options for the public to assess".
Moreso, he said, had the necessary consultations taken place, Mr Rashid Pelpuo would not have been nominated for a stated role, only to be reshuffled to another role in the public domain, - "this is quite unprecedented in the annals of the party".
Mr Quaye said just as we welcome the President's all inclusive policy which has led to non-members of the party being appointed to certain strategic positions in our government, it is equally incumbent on such people to work within the visions and expectations of the party and its teeming supporters.
"It is true, he said, "the party shall have more challenges as it governs the country, but such challenges should not begin by deliberately ignoring and alienating the party's apparatchiks".