Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, the Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC) has said that Johnson Asiedu Nketia is not qualified to remain on the Parliamentary Service board, so he must resign.
According to the former Editor-in-Chief of the state-owned newspaper, Daily Graphic, parliament being the people’s representative and required to be neutral and protect the interest of the nation deserves an equally neutral board to advise it.
He argued that it is unconstitutional to have no other than a chairman of a political party serving on the parliamentary board and advising the speaker. In his view, that compromises the neutrality of the board.
He cited an instance years ago when the late Peter Ala Adjetey who was a member of the National Media Commission was removed because he was then the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party.
He recounted how the law had to be amended to facilitate his removal from the commission to safeguard its neutrality.
“So, if somebody holding political office cannot be a member of the Commission, how can somebody leading a political party advise the Speaker which is supposed to demonstrate objectively and neutrality of the highest sense?” Ayeboafo said while speaking at an event.
Asiedu Nketia has served on the board since 2021 after his appointment alongside former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament Abraham Ossei Aidoo as the Speaker of Parliament’s nominees to the Parliamentary Board. The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, and the Clerk of Parliament, Cyril Nsiah, are the members with the Speaker as the Chair.
However, after beating Samuel Ofosu Ampofo to become the National Chairman of the NDC, Ayeboafo said the time has come for him to step down.
