Appointing “Stammerer” Omane Boamah and "blind" Danaa as Ministers was bad – Bagbin

Flagbearer aspirant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Alban Bagbin, has slammed as bad former President John Mahama’s appointment of Dr. Omane Boamah as Communications Minister and a “blind person” as Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs.

According to him, Dr Omane Boamah, who stammers; “wasted time” communicating to Ghanaians due to his disability.

He added further that the choice of Dr Seidu Danaa, who is visually impaired; as Chieftaincy Minister was also wrong because the Ghanaian culture does not allow one who is not “whole” to be made a chief.

Mr Bagbin made these observations at a meeting with NDC members in the Volta Region.

On Dr Omane Boamah’s appointment, Mr Bagbin said: “I learnt from tradition that it is not the chief that speaks, it is the linguist and, so, when you are a leader, you must have a very good linguist.

Read also: Appointing Ablakwa as Deputy Education Minister cost NDC – Bagbin

“When Prof [Atta Mills] was in power, Haruna Iddrisu was our linguist in charge of communication, when my brother John [Mahama] came to power, he substituted him for Dr Omane Boamah who is a natural stammerer,” said Bagbin during his tour of the Volta Region.

He added: “He is a very intelligent boy, he is smart but when he is speaking, he wastes time in coming out and Ghanaians do not have that much patience, so, they are always looking for those that are rattling.

“So, even though you might have a good message, you will not succeed in marketing that message because somebody is there from the other side rattling and they are listening to him, so, we came down.

“You didn’t realise it, I studied governance and leadership up to the Master’s [level], so, I have some of these things at hand… They were some of these mistakes that cost us dearly.”

Explaining why Dr Danaa’s appointment was also in bad taste, Mr Bagbin said: “In our tradition if you are not whole can you be a chief or a queenmother? So when you form a government and make the minister for chieftaincy a blind person, and the chiefs are objecting and you don’t change it, what are you telling the chiefs?

“These are facts I’m stating, I have not added anything. You all know it but maybe you may not have appreciated the impact on what happened.  And when some of us are close and we can foresee it and we say it, then they are called upon to insult us,” Mr. Bagbin said.

Meanwhile, the National Organiser of the NDC, Kofi Adams has accused Mr Bagbin of plotting to destroy the largest opposition party.

According to Adams, Bagbin’s “blackmail, [and] destruction” of a party he claimed he wants to lead into the 2020 elections “will not wash.”

Credit: Starrfmonline.com