Gender and Social Protection Minister-designate Otiko Afisa Djaba says she was not in support of claims made by controversial New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP Kennedy Agyapong that the chairperson of the Electoral Commission got her job through sexual favours.
Facing the Appointments Committee of Parliament Monday, Otiko Djaba who is the NPP National Women’s Organiser said she called for an investigation into the claim because the statement denigrated all women.
After public bashing of the Assin Central MP Kenedy Agyapong, the claim said he was misconstured and that he was only joking but he never retracted and apologised.
In the heat of the controversy last July, Otiko Djaba was reported as saying, if the allegation by the Assin Central legislator is left to die, it may leave doubts in the minds of Ghanaians and hence have far reaching consequences on the outcome of the December 7 general elections.
According to her, there has been a lot of hypocrisy and double standards demonstrated by some Ghanaians following Kennedy Agyapong’s comments.
She recalls that many people including influential people in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have made worse comments against women in Ghana but those utterances never saw the kind of organised and sponsored demonstrations that has greeted Mr Agyapong’s.
“Women who are not married at the age of 30 years were described as prostitutes by a Presidential staffer and a leading member of the NDC in this country but these women groups never condemned it. Look, we must be serious in this country and stop politicising every issue,” NPP women Organizer said.
At her vetting Monday, the NPP Women’s Organiser stressed that her position on the matter was public and did not include support for the controversial NPP MP.
Myjoyonline.com reported her comments at a three-day capacity building workshop for the Eastern Regional Women’s wing of the NPP in Koforidua.
“A Member of Parliament has alleged that the EC boss had sex with someone before she was offered a job, instead of us finding out the truth in the matter, the NDC is organizing women groups to demonstrate against the MP? Why are we not investigating whether the President have something doing with the EC boss or not?” she said.
She adds, “It’s only the President [John Mahama] who has the power to appoint Commissioners at the EC and as such he appointed the Chairperson of the EC so if the Commissioner is alleged to have exchanged her womanhood for a job, then who gave him the job? it certainly is John Mahama, because he appointed him.”
Adomonline.com reported her as saying:
“In fact, it is worrying considering the fact that some NDC communicators have now become spokespersons for the EC…there is no smoke without fire. A referee who has an association with the President will automatically take a stance that will favor the president in this elections. This matter must not be swept under the carpet, let us investigate this matter,” she noted.
Accra-based Citi FM reported her as saying:
“We need to focus on why he said it because he is not an ordinary person. He is a member of our legislature. He should not be condemned outright but we should find out if there is any merit in what he said or not…For the sake of our country, for the sake of democracy, for the sake of peace and transparency in the election. There is no smoke without fire and this Honorable man will not come and make that statement with no reason.”
Source: myjoyonline
