Foundation wants presidential staffer fired for sexist comment

The Damsel Foundation is demanding the immediate dismissal from office of Nana Hesse Ogyiri, a presidential staffer after he posted what it deems a sexist and abusive comment.

Miss Farida Mahama, a daughter of former President John Mahama had marked her birthday on July 16, following which Hesse Ogyiri posted a photo of her on Facebook with an accompanying suggestive comment and invited further comments on the same.

He has since unpublished the post and posted: “Sincere Apologies” and “We live and learn everyday” on his Facebook wall.

However, the foundation, which says it is committed to the empowerment of young girls in the country, says it is “appalled and disgusted by this shameful conduct of Mr Ogyiri which is unbecoming of a Presidential Staffer and condemns same in no uncertain terms.”

In a press statement issued on Saturday by its Executive Director, Beatrice Annangfio, the Damsel Foundation called on President Akufo-Addo to sanction Mr Ogyiri by dismissing him from office with immediate effect, as a sign of the government’s commitment to protect every child from any form of abuse irrespective of their backgrounds.

“The foundation further wishes to inform the public that we will lodge a formal complaint on this matter to the Chief of Staff of the Republic who has oversight responsibility over Mr. Ogyiri and other appropriate local and international bodies. This has become imperative given the fact that this is not the first time that Mr Ogyiri has made such despicable sexually abusive and inappropriate statements about the Minor in question.”

Below is the full statement by the Damsel Foundation;

DAMSEL FOUNDATION CALLS FOR THE IMMEDIATE DISMISSAL OF PRESIDENTIAL STAFFER, NANA HESSE OGYIRI OVER HIS ABUSIVE SEXUAL COMMENTS ABOUT A MINOR, FARIDA MAHAMA.

The Damsel Foundation has taken notice of a sexist and sexually inappropriate comment made by a Presidential staffer, Mr. Nana Hesse Ogyiri on his Facebook wall about a Minor, Farida Mahama on the occasion of her birthday.

The said statement amounts to child abuse in clear contravention of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Children’s Act, 1998 (ACT 560) of Ghana, which enjoin governments and all persons not to subject a child to any mental abuse.

Regrettably, Mr. Nana Hesse Ogyiri did not only make these sexually abusive and inappropriate comments about the minor but further went ahead to invite the public to share similar views about the minor while displaying her picture in the said Facebook post.

As a foundation that is committed to the empowerment of young girls in the country, we are appalled and disgusted by this shameful conduct of Mr. Ogyiri which is unbecoming of a Presidential Staffer and condemns same in no uncertain terms.

We wish to call on the President of the Republic of Ghana to sanction Mr. Ogyiri by dismissing him from office with immediate effect, as a sign of his government’s commitment to protect every child from any form of abuse irrespective of their backgrounds.

The foundation further wishes to inform the public that we will lodge a formal complaint on this matter to the Chief of Staff of the Republic who has oversight responsibility over Mr. Ogyiri and other appropriate local and international bodies. This has become imperative given the fact that this is not the first time that Mr. Ogyiri has made such despicable sexually abusive and inappropriate statements about the Minor in question.

We hope our actions, which we intend to pursue to its logical conclusion will be deterrent to other irresponsible persons who think and behave like Mr. Ogyiri.