The Chair of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Council of Elders in South Africa, Mr. Benjamin Kofi Quashie, criticised the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s work, describing it as not being up to standard, urging them to up their game, to help government to reset the country.
Mr. Quashie expressed these strong views when he joined JoyNews’ Newspaper Review show on Thursday, 24th April, 2024, saying “honestly, the NPP is not there yet”, alluding their actions to the shocking defeat suffered during the 2024 elections. In the coming days and weeks, I’m sure they will come out of their shells to bounce back”, he stated.
On the minority’s performance thus far, he admitted that while some have performed creditably well, others’ actions have been abysmal—someone like former Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has made some brilliant suggestions that he thinks the government should consider.
Conversely, he hinted that the actions of the Assin South MP, Ntim Fordjour, regarding the flight brouhaha were based more on emotions rather than facts, which has dented the image of the minority.
“These are the things that make us question the minority’s actions, whether they are vibrant or not. They claim they’re the ‘mighty minority’, so we live to see”, Mr. Quashie shared.
He added, “We cannot implement national policies with the ‘winner takes all’ mentality, like the NPP, for refusing to include the views of the opposition in the implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme and the Free Senior High School policy. We need a paradigm shift when it comes to national resources like gold.”
In sum, he averred that listening to Dr. Bawumia and his approach by inviting all party leaders to join him on the ‘Thank You Tour’, is a good start. “I think the NDC needs a vibrant opposition, and it’s a call in the right direction”, underscoring, “Once we’re the ruling government and there is a vibrant opposition, it would keep us on our toes to deliver the reset agenda.
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