Mahama Must Withdraw Oti Bless’ Appointment

Editor-in-Chief of the Crusading Guide newspaper Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr says the president must take immediate steps to withdraw his deputy ministerial appointment he handed to John Oti Bless.
Mr Baako says the shocking, contemptuous comments made by the president’s appointee in the infamous Montie scandal makes him unfit to occupy the high position of a Deputy Local Government Minister.
The ace journalist said even if the president fails to withdraw his appointment, the Legislature must not approve him. “He must go ahead and apologise for his comments,” Kweku Baako added.
John Oti Bless was vetted together with two other ministerial designates but his approval has been deferred following a petition sent to Parliament in protest over comments he made during a radio discussion program on an Accra based radio station Montie FM.
Those comments, some of which threatened to kill judges, rape the chief justice, were deemed to have scandalised the court and for which a radio host, Salifu Maase and two other panelists Alistaire Nelson and Godwin Ako-Gunn are currently languishing in jail for four months after they pleaded guilty to charges of contempt.
Kweku Baako Jnr in discussing the matter on Joy FM’s Newsfile program on Saturday said John Oti Bless is “damn lucky to have escaped the contempt trial.”
The appointee having had his appointment approval deferred by Parliament, has since apologised for his comments. He said he was misled in a way a young man with youthful exuberance would be and pleaded that this conduct will not be repeated.
But Kweku Baako is not convinced by the apology. “He is a baby with a sharp teeth… As an appointee of government, if you heard what he said, you will be shocked. The president must withdraw his appointment. His is worse than the three gentlemen,” Kweku Baako pointed out.
With dozens queuing to sign a petition to have the president exercise his powers of mercy and pardon the three convicted persons, Kweku Baako Jnr, said John Oti Bless’ involvement in the whole matter is the reason why the president must not exercise this power of mercy.
But the Deputy Interior Minister James Agalga who was also on the Newsfile program said John Oti Bless must be forgiven.
“We are all human beings and can make mistakes. When they have come out to
apologise profusely I am not one of the people who believes people should be punished.
“I believe people can reform and be dealt with leniently”.
He admitted though that the statements made by John Oti Bless were in bad taste but having apologised for those comments, he said he should be forgiven.
He was quick to add that “the fact that he made those statements does not make him a convict for contempt.”