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Opinions of Tuesday, 19 February 2013

Columnist: Tutu, Prince Osei

Minster for trade and industry is unfit to be a minister

Haruna Iddrisu (minster for trade and industry) is mentally, intellectually and morally unfit to be a minister. Of state.

Despite holding ministerial portfolio earlier on, the national youth leadership forum Ghana upon assessing, analyzing and scrutinizing a question posed to the Ashanti regional minister designate (Samuel Sarpong) by Haruna Iddrisu concludes that Haruna Iddrisu is mentally,psychological,morally and intellectually unfit to occupy a ministerial office again.

Hence National Youth Leadership Forum Ghana appeals to President John Mahama to dismiss Haruna Iddrisu.

On Wednesday 13th February, 2013, Haruna Iddrisu asked the Ashanti Regional Minister designate if people from Northern and Volta extractions living in Ashanti Region are safe.

Members of National Youth Leadership Forum- Ghana upon deep thought and reflection cannot arrive at any motivation that precipitated that genocidal question from Haruna Iddrisu.

Haruna iddrisu’s question is clearly based on his hatred against Asantes and we believe his question is to incite other tribes against Asantes. We wish to remind President Mahama that the 1992 constitution as well as all other global legal frame works are against ethnocentrism, tribalism, racism and all other forms of discrimination.

Therefore he as President must act and do what is morally right by dismissing Haruna Iddrisu.

National Youth Leadership Forum -Ghana further wants Haruna Iddrisu to know that his idiotic, irresponsible, unintellectual and tribalistic question has no historical basis but prejudice. Haruna Iddrisu actions indicate that Asante’s will not have fair treatment in dealing with his ministry. It is imperative for Ghanaians all over the country and beyond to note that Asantes are hospitable and peace-loving group that do not discriminate against other tribes in any form.

The reason of the above are as follows.

1. It is only in Ashanti Region where a suburb is named Anloga –where over 95% of those living there are Ewes.

2. It is only in Ashanti region where a suburb is called Fanti Newtown where huge populations of that suburb are Fanti’s.

3. It is only in Ashanti Region where you see people of Northern extraction living only a street away from the palace of the great King-Otumfuo.

4. It is only in the Ashanti region where tribal chiefs from all over the country together with indigenous chiefs sat in state together to pay homage to Otumfuo and as well deliberate on issues of traditional importance.

National youth leadership forum Ghana wish to make clear to Haruna Iddrisu that over the last 100 years no conflict has hit the Asante Kingdom which probably affected any non-Asante causing his /her death or injury to have warranted that question.

For the sake of national cohesion, we shall not talk about the many tribal conflicts that have struck the Northern and upper parts of Ghana with its attendant deaths, displacements of people and the huge money spent on them by the government. But we simply state that Ashante Region is safer for all manner of people than where most of them hail from.

To Ashante leadership, it is a wakeup call to rally all Asantes and allies against any form of attack by any individual or group of people.

Article 19 of the African Charter on human and peoples right states; all people shall be equal, they shall enjoy the same respect and shall have the same rights. Nothing shall justify the domination of a people by another. In the light of this; Asantes shall resist any form of discrimination or abuse by anyone or group of people.

INTERIM PRESIDENT –NYLF –GHANA PRINCE OSEI TUTU 0244-242308