Minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba has rebuff attempts by some members of the vetting committee to impress on her to apologize to former President John Dramani Mahama for comments she made a couple of months ago.
Madam Afisah Djaba was emphatic to the committee that she owes the former president no apology when she was referred to what Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyin, MP for Tamale North constituency labeled as “unfortunate and unpalatable” statement made against the former president.
The nominee is reported to have made some scathing comments about former President Mahama in the line up to the 2016 general elections.
The polyglot minister-designate was quoted to have said “President Mahama's time is up...President Mahama is extremely wicked and so he must step down...He has the heart of the devil. We need change, we need someone is passionate about this country. You have to vote massively for Nana Akufo Addo. We need change this year. Your time is up President Mahama,”
“…You have to step down this year so Nana Addo can take over the management of this country,'' She told a teeming crowd of NPP supporters during the campaign season last year.
But Madam Otiko, who is related to the former president, said her comments were made without any malice intended.
Asked if she would apology for her comments, Madam Afisa Djaba said she has no apology to render.
“The president is my brother and I spoke from my convictions. I made the statement as a wakeup call for him. We are building a nation and he [John Mahama] was running for re-election and I felt the people who should tell him as it is were not telling him as it was,” she said.
Madam Otiko further explained that “When I said the president was an embarrassment, I referred to SADA. SADA is very dear to my heart. The incident of poverty in the three Northern region where my mother comes from is very high. But the president who comes from the North did nothing to help the region. It was an embarrassment”
“I don’t owe him [President Mahama] or you [Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyin] any apology. We are developing and building a nation” she firmly said.
However, the Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu interjected and in some way attempt to corece Madam Otiko to retract and apologize to the former president.
But the nominee, who is also the NPP's National Women's Organizer, strongly rebuff the call and maintained that “I don’t regret my comment. The president embarrassed Northerners and their chiefs have complained bitterly about that. When I talked about his [Ex-Prez Mahama] wickedness, Ghanaians were crying due to Dumsor and high tariffs.”
When asked to dissociate herself from those words by the ranking member, she quizzed - “Are you trying to say that we cannot criticize? Are you saying that I don’t have my right to speak? My words weren’t an insults, it was a criticism!”
Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Washman007
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Is the vetting about forcing people to retract statements made about Ex President Mahahma. The MP for Tamale North should know that he has been elected to represent the People and not John Mahama. His behaviour on the committee is becoming a burden to some of us and I am sure most nominees are getting irritated by his questions. Anyway, he was nominated by the NDC but I bet he is not the best he is working for personal interest.
The NDC members on the vetting committee should no that by forcing the appointees of the president to apologised will not bring the NDC their party back to gov't. Madam Otiko YOU DO ALLLLLL.
Hypocrite have they forgotten all that they said about Nana Addo during the campaign time are they going to apologize to him is true mahama is greedy nd wicked no apologies
YOU HAVE MADE ME SO PROUD THAT I CANT EVEN EXPRESS MY HAPPINESS. WHY DO THEY WANT EVERYBODY TO APOLOGIZE TO THIS 1NCOMPETENT AND CORRUPT1 MAHAMA? HE IS VERY CORRUP1. AFISHA BRAVO!!
clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap and clap more. I clap aaa enter my car. Wow this is what we call a woman of substance and conviction. Madam I salute.
Ye kyiri kookooo nso yedi nyumaa
You call someone arrogant yet you hate to be called a ***barred word***. I am very sure that she will retract her statement when the good people of the Northern Region and Ghanaians are accorded the respect and not told fibs. What more could they ask her after she raised the missing fouls saga. We pretend to be holy and ask all kinds question forgeting that we have hurt Ghanaians the most. Leave te NPP to manage the country and let the voters judge after four years.
BRAVO! MADAM OTIKO AFISA DJABA BE BRAVE IN YOUR STAND.DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY GHANAIANS DID NDC FROM RAWLINGS TO MAHAMA OFFEND? AND DID THEY EVER HAD THE DECENCY TO APOLOGISE? YES! THEY ARE EVIL. NDC THIEEEVES NEVER AGAIN.
for you KK i think your father is still looking for the woman who gave birth to you as his son, i feel ur pain for not having a father all your life, am sure he did it with a ***barred word***. And for you Bentley yes we are watching bold women who can stand up for truth and not lies like u have been lying to your wife or galfriend all your life..GET the difference btn truth and arrogance...free education is here enroll...***barred word***
Good for you, madam. I applaud you for your boldness. They can lie again and say you offered something to them as a bribe. We know how far the minority will go to destroy personalities. They have not gotten over their emphatic and humiliating defeat yet!! Keep it up!!