DAILY HERITAGE JULY 9, 2020

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DAILY HERITAGE THURSDAY , JULY 9, 2020 11
Politics
Do not mind anything that anyone tells you about
anyone else. Judge everyone and everything for
yourself —Henry James
I attacked Jane Naana’s records, not
her gender – Buaben Asamoah
BY KWAME ACHEAMPONG
THE MEMBER of Parliament
(MP) for Adenta and New Patriotic
Party (NPP) Communications
Director, Mr Yaw Buaben
Asamoah, has hit back at critics,
including Betty Mould Iddrisu, for
implying that he made sexist comments
in his reaction to the National
Democratic Congress’
(NDC’s) running mate appointment.
A number of female personalities
and women’s groups, including
former NDC women’s leader,
Mrs Ama Benyiwaa Doe, have
asked the NPP’s Communications
Director to apologize for his comment
that the selection of Professor
Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman
shows former President John Mahama
does not take Ghanaians seriously.
However, the MP insists that
though Prof. Jane Opoku Agyeman
has distinguished herself in
her career, her political achievements
are nothing to write home
about.
“I said for the political choice
of Jane, John Mahama had
•Mr Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, NPP Communication Director
nowhere to go, he was stuck. He
couldn’t find his Bawumia clone,
so he ended up with somebody
who, he believes, cannot challenge
him for 2024, because he knows
he will lose 2020 and he will return
in 2024 and therefore, he
doesn’t want a vice-presidential
running mate who will challenge
him for the nomination. Nowhere
did I say because she’s a woman,”
he told Naa Dedei Tettey on Starr
Today on Tuesday.
He went on that, “And you see
as a politician, we will test her on
her record and she has a record.
‘Is it not true that she presided
over the cancellation of allowance?
Is it not true that she
presided over the cancellation of
research allowance?’ Every single
thing we said in that statement is
true of her as a politician.
Nowhere did I state her gender.”
Mr Buaben Asamoah says he
thinks that an apology must rather
be rendered by former Attorney-
General Betty Mould Iddrisu to
the former Education minister for
insinuating she got the nod as a
result of her gender.
He said, “Betty Mould has insulted
her by saying that it is because
she is a woman that she’s
been appointed as a presidential
running mate.”
“Betty Mould should apologise
to her for insinuating that she got
her position because of gender.
Betty Mould should apologize to
Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings
for attacking her for seeking to aspire
to lead the NDC, and ganging
up against her to leave the party
she formed.”
He went on, “I am not turning
it on to her; she has goofed. I
haven’t attacked a woman. That’s
not in my mind at all. It’s politics.
I have attacked a political record.
And that political record cannot
drive the NDC home to victory.
“Nowhere in my statement did
I use gender as a basis for assessment.
She is a very fine woman.
She has distinguished herself in
her career. But politically, she is
not someone who has done a
great deal for the nation.”
Naana Jane’s choice masterstroke for NDC victory —Sammy Gyamfi
THE COMMUNICATIONS Director
of the opposition National
Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr
Sammy Gyamfi, says the selection
of Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman
as the party’s running mate
for the 2020 polls is a masterstroke
which will propel them to
victory.
In his view, the NDC has leverage
in the elections because of the
appointment of the former Vice-
Chancellor of the University of
Cape Coast.
Addressing the media at the
party’s weekly press encounter in
Accra, the legal practitioner said
the governing party had been hurt
by the impeccable record of the
NDC running mate.
“Our flagbearer has unleashed
a political masterstroke that will
propel the NDC to a resounding
victory in December 2020.
“The NDC has noted the desperate
fabrications being peddled
•Mr Sammy Gyamfi, Communication Director of NDC
by the NPP about the sterling
record of Prof. Naana Jane
Opoku Agyeman as Minister for
Education.
“Firstly, the claim that Prof.
Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
cancelled Teacher Trainee Allowance
is false. The decision to
replace Teacher Trainee allowance
with student loan was a Cabinet
decision and not a ministerial decision,”
he said.
Former President Mahama on
Monday unveiled the former Education
Minister as his running
mate for the polls. The academician
beat off competition from
well-known and established personalities
in the opposition parties.
Meanwhile, the Majority
leader,Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-
Bonsu says her inclusion will do
very little to the NDC ticket.
“When I first heard, I thought
he was going to settle on Dr Duffuor
or Nii Moi because they are
economists and finance experts of
considerable standing, so either of
them could have done it. If he
wanted a woman, I thought that
we have some women of some
demonstrable competence who
have risen through this house to
establish themselves. One such
person could be Hanna Tetteh,
who has been a member of this
House, Foreign Affairs minister
and some other areas, so she has
learnt the rules.
“Another person is the former
Attorney General, solid person. If
he wanted women, even the previous
Attorney General; even
though she has some skeletons
because of the Woyome issue but
you ask yourself what value this
woman is going to add to that
ticket.
“Calm woman, a woman of
poise and balance. She speaks
good English but is it good
enough to satisfy the ticket? Let’s
not forget; perish the thought, I’m
not wishing that, but let’s assume
that John becomes the President
and the next day he is no longer,
is this woman capable of being
described as the President of the
Republic? And that has nothing to
do with her person. I’m talking
about the quality in governance
that could affect and effect this
country. Is she that person? I
don’t think so at all,” the Suame
MP said.Starrfm.com.gh