‘Leave Otiko Alone’

A GROUP of ‘Concerned’ Ghanaian women have pleaded with President Akufo-Addo to have the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s Northern Regional Chairman, Daniel Bugri Naabu called to order to allow the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Otiko Afisah Djaba to work in peace.

“We humbly call on our able President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to bring Chairman Bugri Naabu and his cohorts to order, so that the Gender Minister, Otiko Afisah Djaba can have her peace of mind to work for the government and the good people of Ghana. We believe Nana Addo can do it,” they stated.

The Gender Minister and Mr Naabu started their nasty fight in May this year, following a misunderstanding over the appointment of the Coordinator for the School Feeding Programme in the Region, causing public embarrassment for the Akufo-Addo NPP administration.

The Concerned Women in a statement signed by their regional representatives registered their displeasure “about the behavior of Mr. Daniel Bugri Naabu and his cohorts towards one of our most hardworking Ministers, Hon. Otiko Afisah Djaba.”

The women have also condemned “his continuous interference and deliberate distraction in the operations of the Ghana School Feeding Programme in the Northern Region.”

“As women of Ghana who are keenly following the work of Hon. Otiko Afisah Djaba as Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, we strongly condemn his actions and deem it extremely appropriate to raise our voices against the constant abuse, name calling, demonization, character assassination and hiding behind others to wantonly interfere in the work of the Minister by Chairman Bugri Naabu and demand that he is brought to order,” they demanded.

“We have been silent and patient for far too long, expecting our government and other well-meaning Ghanaians to restrain and call Mr. Bugri Naabu and his cohorts to order, but to date, very little or no efforts have been made to protect the integrity of the government and the Minister to ensure the smooth implementation of the good policies and programmes of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.”

Mr. Daniel Bugri Naabu and his cohorts’ continuous distraction has given the government a bad name in the Northern Region in his attempt to demonize people like Hon. Otiko Afisah Djaba, Hon. Salifu Saeed (Northern Regional Minister), Hon. Solomon Boar (Deputy Northern Regional Minister), Hon. Iddrisu Musah Superior (Mayor of Tamale) and many others.

“Turning himself into a tin god and a “bulldozer”, Bugri Naabu has succeeded in taking unilateral decisions to sack even the NPP regional council of elders, constituency party chairmen, deputy chairmen and women organisers just to satisfy his own parochial interest.”