Former President John Mahama has criticised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his failure to sack Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, George Ayisi Boateng.
“Finally, let me talk about the president not putting his foot down” he indicated while speaking to a crowd of National Democratic Congress supporters in the Central Region on Sunday, 5 November after a Unity Walk.
Mr Ayisi Boateng has received widespread criticism for stating that his first priority as a High Commissioner is to serve the interest of the members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) because the NPP members who voted the current government into power are more Ghanaians than other Ghanaians.
Despite the pressure on him to retract his comments or resign from his position, Ayisi Boateng initially reiterated his sentiments, stating in a radio interview that, “when you have a large family but you first make your wife and children, eat first before others, what is wrong with that?”
However in a quick U-turn, Mr Ayisi Boateng apologised saying: “I regret the effect of my speech delivered to the young party members which has generated public outcry. I, therefore wish to retract my comments and render an unqualified apology to the presidency and all Ghanaians.”
Former President Mahama who was speaking to the issue for the first time said with the comments made by the High Commissioner, “you don’t call the person to the Flagstaff House, draft an apology letter for him and ask him to sign; you sack him at once”
According to him, Ghana has a constitution which is “the supreme law of the land and, so, if you are a party officer, you can say whatever you want, there is no problem. You can say all jobs should go to NDC people before it goes to NPP people…
But when you are appointed as a High Commissioner and then you swear an oath of allegiance to the Constitution of Ghana and the Constitution of Ghana says: ‘There shall be no discrimination, and that you shall do justice to all manner of persons, that’s what the constitution of Ghana says, then you come and say – have you read animal Farm before? – It says all animals are equal – that’s how they started when they did the revolution. Then when Napoleon and the pigs started enjoying, they had to justifying why they were enjoying, and, so, they said: ‘All animals are equal but some are more equal than others’.
I remember President Akufo-Addo said: ‘We shall open opportunities of this country to all Ghanaians irrespective of your party or your ethnic affiliation’. Do you remember he said that? So we did the revolution and he came to power, now that the pigs are enjoying they say: ‘Some Ghanaians are more Ghanaian than others’. And you even read the apology letter and it’s an apology of apology. He says: ‘To apologise for the effect of my words, not apologise for my words’, and that is the new government under which we are.”
Source: Peacefmonline.com
