Accra, September 26, 2017//-23 out of the 24 Commissioners of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) have abdicated their position with immediate effect.

The announcement was made by the out-gone Chairman of the Commission, Professor Kwesi Botchwey when he submitted Ghana’s 40-Year National Development Plan to the President at the State Banquet Hall in Accra Tuesday.

He told President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo they want to make way for him to “recompose and recast” the Commission to suit his government’s agenda.

Although he acknowledged their decision was not sanctioned by any law or statute in the Constitution, Prof Botchwey said they do not want anything to hinder the President’s vision and priorities.

“We as a Commission chaired by me will like to collectively stand down to bring our tenure as a Commission to a close,” he announced the end of a three-year journey.

But NDPC Director-General, Dr Nii Moi Thompson, who serves as the technical head of the Commission, will continue to be at post until further notice.

Dr Thomposon said  he would stay on for a little while to “tie the loose ends” as far as the 40-Year National Development Plan is concerned.

He said the document submitted to the President will go through several revisions before it will finally be handed to Parliament for it to be scrutinised.

The President expressed his appreciation to the 23 Commissioners for their extraordinary work at the Commission.

“From the little I know of the operations of the Commission, I am aware that each and every one of you, the members of the Commission, have made significant input into this document,” President Akufo-Addo said.

He also commended them for their decision to resign en bloc “ without the compulsion of law to submit your collective resignation to allow the principle of ‘new king, new law.’”

President Akufo-Addo observed the action of the 23 Commissioners represent an act of “high patriotism” for which he was grateful. Myjoyonline