Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, says his caucus will embark on a series of actions should the group's parliamentary boycotts fail to get the government to stop prosecuting Assin North MP, James Quayson on a daily basis. 

According to him, there are a series of activities planned to ensure the government suffers for its decision. 

Dr Ato Forson said the government may have to choose between carrying out its business in Parliament or prosecuting the Assin North MP on a daily basis. 

Speaking in an interview with JoyNews on Wednesday, July 12, the leader of the NDC MPs said they will not allow the government to abuse members. 

He stated that they are prepared to protect each other.

“We are a group, we are a caucus and if you sit unconcerned for government to pick your members one by one and persecute them like the way they are doing to our colleague James Gyakye Quayson, they will come after everyone of us.

“We have decided as a caucus that everyday or any day that our colleague will be invited to go to court, we will go with him. They (government) will have to contend with that. If they want him to be in the courtroom on daily basis, we will also be there on daily basis.

“The government will have to choose its business against Gyakye Quayson’s appearance on a daily basis. If they want us to assist the government to run, then they will have to choose wisely. This is our first activity that we are doing. We may escalate to signal our displeasure to the government and there are so many other things we are going to do in the coming days.”

Even though, their quest to have their names captured as absent with permission for their recent boycotts has been shot down by the Speaker of Parliament, Dr Ato Forson said they will write to seek his permission before boycotting on other days. 

The caucus had in a fierce argument on the floor demanded that their members’ names must be captured as absent with permission whenever they boycott sittings to go to court in support of their colleagues facing prosecution.

Arguing on the floor on Wednesday, the North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said for the accuracy of records, their absence should be captured as a boycott.

But the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, denied the request, describing it as ‘ill-conceived’.

According to the Speaker, the table office is right in marking the NDC MPs absent without permission per the rules of the House.

He added that for the Speaker to grant such permission, it must be in writing, noting that “it is what guides attendance in the House.”