Nana Frimponmaa urges ceasefire between gender minister and her deputy
The 2012 Vice Presidential Candidate for the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Nana Akosua Frimponmaa II, has called for a ceasefire between the Minister for Gender Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, and her deputy, Miss Rachael Apoh.
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The two have recently been attacking each other following a misunderstanding that has ensued over the rescuing of a child whose mother is purported to have been suffering from some form of mental disorder.
A statement signed and issued by Nana Frimponmaa stated that it believed both the minister and her deputy ‘‘were motivated by the right reasons in taking that position in the interest of women and children.’’
The statement also expressd the belief that the discretion exercised by the deputy minister was genuinely informed by the life-threatening situation of the child, and understood how deep affection and care could drive any responsible adult to provide immediate security and help to a child in danger.
According to the statement, she also appreciates the sensitive nature of the case and the minister demanding that due process be followed. The statement said most people would agree that due process was the backbone that every institution in Ghana required.
The statement further acknowledged that the problem was a leadership challenge and appealed to the ministers to quickly take up the mantle of selfless dedication to duty and stop that unnecessary tug-of-war.
According to the statement, the issue at hand clearly shows the lapses and ineptitude in the system, with regard to addressing life-threatening concerns of children who are the most vulnerable in any society.
The statement expressed the hope that the ministers would, as soon as possible, channel all their energies into engaging all stakeholders to find an enduring solution to this problem.
The statement pointed out that the concerned women of Ghana wanted the creation of more outlets and places outside the Osu Children’s Home as a temporary shelter for children, and a hotline that one could contact in the event of similar situations.
According to the statement, currently when the life of a child is in any form of danger, there is no available number to call for swift action to be taken to rescue the child, as has clearly been demonstrated by this saga. ‘‘So please let this rather be a responsibility we must commit ourselves to fix immediately,” the statement stressed.
The statement observed that there were a lot of children in the neighbourhood loitering during school hours, whose parents were the ones that must be sanctioned.
The statement urged that these were the people who definitely needed to be arrested and put through the due process to enforce the “compulsory” free education at the basic level.
‘‘There is a lot of work to be done at the ministry that you have been entrusted with and all of us are ready to help you achieve your goals of a better Ghana. So, put programmes and policies in place that will engage the general public, especially the women and children who look up to you as their role model,’’ the statement emphasised.
The statement appealed to Nana Oye Lithur not to feed into the negative perception that women were their own enemies. Therefore, for the sake of all women and young girls in the country, it urged the Minister to bury her personal ego and commit herself selflessly to do the job she has been entrusted with to improve the lot of women and children.
Daily Graphic/Ghana