10 things you didn’t know about new Minority Leader, Dr. Ato Forson

Parliament will resume from recess on February 7, 2023, but with new faces on the Minority bench of the house.

This is because the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has changed its leadership in the lawmaking house.Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, MP for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam has now been appointed as the new Minority Leader, taking over from Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu who has been serving in such position since January 2017.

Ellembelle MP, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah also replaces James Klutse Avedzi as Deputy Minority Leader.

Kwame Agbodza becomes the Chief Whip for the opposition side and will be deputised by Banda MP, Ahmed Ibrahim and Ada legislator, Comfort Doyoe-Ghansah.

According to leadership of the NDC, the reason for the reshuffle is to help re-strategise to win the upcoming election in 2024.

According to the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the 2024 polls will hinge on the economy hence the decision.

“The 2024 election is going to be fought around the economy, so the debate is basically going to be about the economy. So if you are a serious party fighting to win an election. You must put your best foot forward to win the debate”.

Below are a few things to know about Dr. Ato Forson:

1. Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson is an Oxford-trained Ghanaian MP who is in his fourth term and a highly accomplished professional with over two decades of experience.

2. He has a PhD in Finance from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), a Master of Science in Taxation from the University of Oxford, UK, a Master of Science degree in Economics also from KNUST, and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from London South Bank University.

3. Dr. Forson is also a chartered accountant and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, Ghana.

4. His professional career has been marked by influential roles in Ghana’s public sector, including as Deputy Minister for Finance from April 2013 to January 2017, a member of Ghana’s Economic Management Team, a Board Director of the Bank of Ghana, a Board member of Ghana Cocoa Board, and Ghana’s Alternate Governor at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

5. His expertise was also brought to light when he chaired the Committee that implemented the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System Reforms (GIFMIS).

6. In 2008, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam Constituency. Since then, he has worked tirelessly to better the lives of his constituents.

7. He has championed many initiatives related to quality education, health care, job creation, and poverty alleviation.

8. As ranking member on the finance committee, he led many crusades to protect the public purse including the rejection of the obnoxious electronic transactions levy and the infamous Agyapa deal.

9. Throughout his career, Cassiel Ato Forson has been a strong advocate of good governance, transparency, and accountability.

10. He is widely respected in the Central Region and across Ghana for his dedication to the service of his country and his constituents.