The Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) Caucus in the Parliament of Ghana says if President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had listened to the concerns they raised and withdrawn the nomination of Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection during her vetting, his administration wouldn’t have been so dented by her actions and inactions.
In the view of the Minority, lack of respect for the elderly on the part of the Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, they knew, would negatively affect the Akufo-Addo-Dr. Bawumia led government and to a larger extent, Ghana, hence, their call on the President to have withdrawn her nomination.
“As matters stand now, the Minority stands vindicated for its earlier opposition to the appointment of Otiko Djaba as a Minister of State,” the Minority in a statement dated May 9, 2017, and signed by its Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, in part read.
Illegal Meeting
Madam Otiko Djaba and the Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Daniel Burgi Naabu, have through out the week grabbed the headlines for holding each other’s in the throat over alleged wrongful acts.
The outspoken Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Friday, May 5, 2017, lost his temper and disrupted a meeting that was underway led by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection Otiko Afisa Djaba.
The controversial chairman in the company of some unruly women affiliated to the NPP stormed the meeting vandalizing properties in protest to what he described as the Minister’s disregard for his high office claiming she did not seek his consent before convening her meeting.
Mr. Naabu who described the meeting as “illegal” noted that the Gender Minister has no right to come to the region to organize a meeting without first informing the regional executives, saying that even the president would not throw his weight about in such manner.
“I have told the Minister point blank what she did was wrong. It is unconstitutional and therefore her meeting is illegal,” he declared to the admiration of the women accompanying him.
Kasapa FM’s Northern regional correspondent Eliasu Tanko, reported that an angry Mr. Naabu personally participated in the condemnable action throwing water bottles and ordering Ms Djaba to immediately stop the “illegal meeting,” which he suspected was intended to plot a scheme to undermine President Akufo-Addo’s nominee to head the school feeding program in the region.
First Lady assignment
But Madam Djaba reacting to the action of the Northern Regional NPP Chairman said she had gone to Tamale to meet the women groups at the instance of the First Lady, Madam Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
Having concluded the First Lady’s assignment, she then decided to meet the women organizers of the NPP “to say a big thank you for working tirelessly to win power for the party”.
“No, it wasn’t about the School Feeding Program at all. I had come to Tamale to honor the First Lady’s assignment and after that I decided to greet the women”, she posited.
Djaba however admitted that some of their discussions were centered on the School Feeding Program but noted that “I told the women that nobody has been contracted to execute the School Feeding Program. I also told them that we are waiting for President Akufo-Addo’s DCE appointees to be confirmed before we will give the green light for people to apply.”
Stop the drama
Commenting further, Madam Otiko Djaba advised Bugri Naabu, to stop his usual antics of dramatizing to get recognition and join hands with her to promote the vision and aspirations of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
According to her, it is only when they join forces together that they can work very hard to address the numerous challenges confronting Ghanaians.
Needless fight, she noted, will disintegrate their front and provoke the anger of Ghanaians to kick them out of power in 2020.
“God has really helped us, after working tirelessly, to win power. Now that we have the power, let’s work to maintain it. We were yearning for it [power] and we’ve got it. So, let us stop this needless. It is not necessary. If Chairman Bugri Naabu has come out to say what he is saying, he is just dramatizing because my meeting with the women was not only about School Feeding Program,” she noted.
She added “We are in power and so we have to do things that will please the people for them to vote for us again. Election 2020 is just around the corner.”
She was later reported to have accused Bugri Naabu on some radio networks for taking goats, sheep and ‘dawadawa’ from some party people he helped them secure appointments in the government.
Otiko and Bukari Rockson have a hand in Adams Mahama’s death
The Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Daniel Bugri Naabu, who could not countenance the gross insubordination of Otiko, accused her, the Upper East Regional Minister and the newly appointed Builsa District Chief Executive, for allegedly having a hand in the death of Adams Mahama.
Mr. Mahama was murdered in an acid attack at his residence in 2015.
“You could remember Adams Mahama who certainly died when he was bathed with acid, [it was through] the same secret meetings …”, Mr. Bugri Naabu alleged in an interview with Radio XYZ while responding to allegations of bribery made against him by Ms. Djaba whose “secret” meeting he scuttled on Friday.
“You’ll be surprised that some of these people who masterminded the killing of Adams have come to take positions in the government … like the Upper East Regional Minister. He was deeply involved in the masterminded killing of Adams,” Mr. Bugri Naabu further alleged on Radio XYZ.
He also said: “Otiko has been a controversial woman in the party. As I’m telling you, this Adams issue, she was deeply involved, so because of that most of us who know her will call her a controversial woman…”
Act now, Mr. President
Worried about the altercations between the two NPP stalwarts, the Minority wants the Ghana Police Service to as a matter of urgency invite Mr. Naabu to assist the Police with his evidence in respect of the murder of Alhaji Adams Mahama.
They also want the President Akufo-Addo to immediately act on the bribery allegations made by Madam Otiko Djaba against Mr. Naabu since the actions of the duo does not only have internal ramifications on the party but also far reaching negative consequences for the peace, stability and good governance of Ghana.
“We demand an action from the President now else his inaction will confirm the view in the public domain that this is a double standard and substandard government,” the Minority noted in their statement.
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