Kennedy Agyapong condemned for insulting comment
Gender activists have criticised Mr Kennedy Agyapong, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, for what they describe as insulting comments against the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Charlotte Osei.
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The politician’s comment has been greeted with huge flak by a section of the public who believe the MP has debased womanhood with his unfortunate utterances and must be roundly condemned.
They have, therefore, demanded an unqualified apology from Mr Agyapong and retraction of the statement.
There have also been calls on the NPP to publicly condemn the party financier but the “Elephant family” is yet to comment on the issue.
Swift rebuttals
Reacting to the statement, the Minister of Gender and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lither, called on Mr Agyapong to apologise to Mrs Osei.
The NPP MP launched a scathing attack on Mrs Osei, alleging that she was appointed after sex appeals.
Mrs Lithur, in a quick rebuttal, described Mr Agyapong’s comments as regrettable, adding that “women of Ghana will not countenance such comments and personal attacks on women who have committed to serve Ghana in public office.
“You are in public office and should promote non-discrimination, respect for human dignity and gender equality by your comments and conduct.”
A private legal practitioner, Ace Anan Ankomah, has also condemned the MP’s comments and called on Ghanaians to speak against the development.
“I call on all Ghanaians to speak up and out against this and any other denigration of women. The African woman works against considerable odds to attain heights that men take for granted.
It is not allowed for her to be denigrated in this manner, simply because a person disagrees with her. I call on political parties whose members make such comments to have the guts, spine and cojones to condemn such statements, Mr Ankomah said.
The Foreign Affairs Minister and Member of Parliament for the Awutu Senya West Constituency, Madam Hanna Tetteh, is also livid over what she calls unsubstantiated allegations and sometimes ‘vicious personal attacks’, targeted at the Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Osei.
Her comments also come after Mr Agyapong alleged that Mrs Osei was appointed in exchange for sex.
The MP said this while addressing supporters of the opposition NPP at Asokwa, a suburb of Kumasi.
In a quote attributed to him by a Kumasi-based Ultimate FM, Mr Agyapong said some highly placed officials in the government told Mrs Osei to “bring your buttocks in exchange of EC Chair position.”
He also said, ‘if indeed Nana Addo wins according to the pink sheets and Charlotte Osei dares to rig the elections