NDC General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey says pressure from within his own party to uncover scandals against the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at all costs contributed to his decision to resign as a parliamentary ranking member.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, November 3, he said he refused to manufacture allegations or exaggerate concerns after the NDC lost power in 2016.
“One of the reasons why I quit the position as a ranking member was because I simply could not understand the expectation from my own corner that I must find scandal on NPP at all costs,” he said.
Mr Kwetey, who served as ranking member on Parliament’s Trade and Industry Committee, stressed that political scrutiny must be based on genuine wrongdoing.
“I’m not going to be fishing for scandal for the sake of it. I said no, I’m not doing it. That’s me. If there’s something genuinely wrong with NPP, I will speak.”
He said the expectation went beyond investigating concerns, with pressure to create scandals even where no wrongdoing had occurred.
“But in this situation, I must find scandal at all costs. If there is none, I must manufacture one,” he said.
Mr Kwetey cited that experience in criticising the NPP’s campaign against Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa over the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.
The NPP youth wing staged a demonstration in Accra on Tuesday, demanding accountability over an alleged GH¢16.4 million discrepancy in the evacuation expenditure. The protesters called for the money to be refunded and demanded flight invoices, beneficiary records and an independent audit.
The controversy centres on expenditure incurred during the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa. The Minority has questioned payment records and alleged that some beneficiaries received less than they were entitled to.
Mr Ablakwa has denied wrongdoing and invited the Auditor-General to conduct an audit.
During the interview, the host raised concerns about signatures and duplicate entries in documents from the ministry. Mr Kwetey dismissed the issues as peripheral, arguing that the minister was being targeted because of his role in exposing alleged wrongdoing under the previous NPP administration.
He challenged the NPP to provide evidence that Mr Ablakwa had stolen public funds.
“What have you been able to establish against the Foreign Minister that was stolen? What? How much money? You can’t prove one,” he said.
