Akufo-Addo Now Committed To Peace – Iddrisu Lauds UW Minister Suspension

Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu has supported the president’s decision to suspend the Upper West Regional Minister in the wake of the attack on workers of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Wednesday.

Commending the action, the Tamale South Member of Parliament (MP) said president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has now shown the commitment to maintain the peace and stability in the country.

“That is a worthy conclusion,” the National Democratic Congress (NDC) lawmaker told Evans Mensah on Joy FM’s Newsnite Thursday, hours after the news of the suspension broke.

The president issued the suspension letter to the Upper West Regional Minister, Sulemana Alhassan after some pro-New Patriotic Party (NPP) youth reportedly stormed the regional NADMO office to assault the workers following some misunderstanding over the NPP polling station executives election.

The minister has been accused of instructing the release of the thugs after they were arrested by the police, an accusation which has led to the suspension of the Minister.

President Akufo-Addo’s action has been seen as a major response to the creeping lawless activities of pro-NPP vigilante groups since his swearing-in January last year.

“The president wants to maintain the stability of the country,” Mr Iddrisu said in reaction to the suspension.

In the letter issued from the Flagstaff House, the Deputy Regional Minister was asked to act in the absence of the Minister pending conclusion of investigations into the alleged attack.

But the Minority leader said president Akufo-Addo will be perpetuating an illegality if the Deputy Minister should perform the suspended Minister’s duties.

The Supreme Court in a 4-1 majority decision on a similar case brought before it in 1997 held “no person can…act as a Minister or Deputy Minister of State without the prior approval of Parliament.”

Drawing support from the ruling, Mr Iddrisu said the president’s directive is welcomed but legally and constitutionally wrong, urging him to do what is right.