Kojo Mpiani, a former Chief of Staff in the Kufuor administration, has challenged President Akufo-Addo to fire embattled Gender Minister Sarah Adwoa Safo for refusing the NPP’s overtures to return to Parliament.
The Dome Kwabenya MP has been in the United States since Parliament resumed sittings this year.
Her absence is said to be having a significant impact on the Majority side’s ability to conduct government business in the House, particularly the E-levy, which has not been officially tabled since last year.
Some want disciplinary action taken against her right away, while others want the government to consider all options, including expulsion from the Party.
In an interview with JoyNews Upfront on Wednesday, Mr. Mpiani asked the President to remove her from her position as Gender Minister if she did not resign.
“You were appointed by the President, I have given you a job to do; so, if you are not doing the job, what should I do as a President? You either resign from the job, or I sack you. I don’t see the real problem there…begging a minister to work; it never happens anywhere.”
“I’ve given you a job to do as a Minister, you didn’t come to me, or anybody asked me to appoint you. Maybe I saw something good in you, so I appointed you to be a Minister of State. You’re not going to work, and you want me to come and beg you to work? It shouldn’t happen that way; that should never happen,” he said.
Meanwhile, he urged the President to lead the charge for reaching a consensus with the Minority Caucus in order to ensure the smooth execution of government business.
“We should be looking at a better way, the best way of resolving such issues [in Parliament]. We shouldn’t go to Parliament and be fighting there; we won’t agree, we agree. I think that’s not the way to go now.”
“The way to go is that leadership should now consult; leadership should convince, leadership should accept consensus so that for the next three years, the country can move on.”
When asked who should lead this charge, Mr. Mpiani said, “the leadership, the President, and the House leadership. This is the way I believe we should go.”
Sarah Adwoa Safo served as Deputy Majority Leader from 2017 to 2021 but was replaced by Alexander Afenyo-Markin when the NPP retained its parliamentary majority by a razor-thin margin aided by an independent MP.
There are rumors that she wants to be reinstated as Deputy Majority Leader, which Afenyo-Markin denies.
On PM Express on Wednesday, February 23, the Effutu MP stated that he had not heard that Adwoa Safo was interested in his position.
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SOURCE: myjoyonline