Gender and Social Protection Minister, Otiko Afisa Djaba has been described as a very ‘principled person’ for refusing to kowtow to pressure from the minority members of the Appointments Committee to apologise to ex-President John Mahama.
Acting General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu said he failed to see reason in the calls for her to apologise to the President against her will during her vetting.
The Gender Minister’s approval had to be a subject of Parliamentary voting after the committee failed to arrive at a consensus on her nomination.
The Minority led by its leader, Haruna Iddrisu were protesting her refusal to apologise to former President Mahama whom he had described as a person with a ‘wicked heart’ for superintending over the collapse of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA).
“It was not an insult. It was a criticism and I am allowed as a citizen of Ghana to criticise the President and these are descriptive words. It is not an insult. I did not insult the President, I criticised him…,” was the response Otiko offered to Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu when he impressed on her to apologise to the ex-leader.
John Boadu speaking on Adom TV’s Badwam on Thursday said he did not see the need to drag the issue as the NPP Women’s Organiser reserves the right to have and express her personal views on issues.
A member of the Appointments Committee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa who added his voice to the call for an apology, he said is not someone qualified to do as he is a ‘worse offender’.
“Was the minority saying they won’t endorse Otiko because someone who is a worse offender than the question he is even asking, Otiko (Ablakwa) was asking her to apologise for something she was convinced about…?”, he queried.
To him, Otiko’s insistence on sticking to her choice of words showed the calibre of person she is.
“If you go there and apologise for something you believed in all because of a position you want, it should be a basis for disqualifying you for the position because it shows you are not a principled person…she emphasised that she said that based on certain things which are facts…,” he said.
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