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| Trade and Industry Minister, Dr Ekow Spio Garbrah |
The
Progressive National Forum (PNF) has described as “unconstitutional” the
creation of the Business Development Committee of the governing National
Democratic Congress (NDC).
The committee, which is chaired by the Trade and Industry Minister, Dr Ekow Spio Garbrah, and was commissioned by Mr Kofi Portuphy, is tasked to create jobs for members of the ruling party.
According to a statement signed by the spokesperson of the forum, Mr Richard Nyamah: “The formation of the said committee is unconstitutional and, therefore, illegal and should be disbanded with immediate effect.
The statement said: “The 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, Article 17 Clause 1 states, ‘All persons shall be equal before the law.’
“In Clause 3, it states, ‘For the purpose of this article, ‘’discrimination’’ means to give different treatment to different persons attributable only or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, gender, occupation, religion or creed, whereby persons of one description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another description are not made subject or granted privileges or advantages which are not granted to persons of another description’.
The committee, which is chaired by the Trade and Industry Minister, Dr Ekow Spio Garbrah, and was commissioned by Mr Kofi Portuphy, is tasked to create jobs for members of the ruling party.
According to a statement signed by the spokesperson of the forum, Mr Richard Nyamah: “The formation of the said committee is unconstitutional and, therefore, illegal and should be disbanded with immediate effect.
The statement said: “The 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, Article 17 Clause 1 states, ‘All persons shall be equal before the law.’
“In Clause 3, it states, ‘For the purpose of this article, ‘’discrimination’’ means to give different treatment to different persons attributable only or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, gender, occupation, religion or creed, whereby persons of one description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another description are not made subject or granted privileges or advantages which are not granted to persons of another description’.
“Second,
this committee is in total breach of the LabourAct 2003 (Act 651) which states
in clause 14 that, “an employer shall not in respect of any person seeking
employment, or of persons already in his employment: (e) discriminate against
the person on grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed,
social or economic status, disability or politics.’’
According to the PNF statement, the decision by the NDC government to “form such a myopic, selfish committee to create jobs for NDC foot soldiers is a national security threat.”
The PNF, therefore, called on the Chairman of the NDC, Mr Portuphy, to, with immediate effect, disband the committee and apologise to the good people of Ghana just like the general secretary did when he realised he had brought the name of Togbe Afede into disrepute and also violating the Constitution which frowned on chiefs engaging in partisan politics.
The PNF hinted that should the chairman refuse to disband the committee with immediate effect, “we will seek legal redress to stop the government from sinking this country into war”.
According to the PNF statement, the decision by the NDC government to “form such a myopic, selfish committee to create jobs for NDC foot soldiers is a national security threat.”
The PNF, therefore, called on the Chairman of the NDC, Mr Portuphy, to, with immediate effect, disband the committee and apologise to the good people of Ghana just like the general secretary did when he realised he had brought the name of Togbe Afede into disrepute and also violating the Constitution which frowned on chiefs engaging in partisan politics.
The PNF hinted that should the chairman refuse to disband the committee with immediate effect, “we will seek legal redress to stop the government from sinking this country into war”.
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