Osafo-Maafo’s reaction to his ‘tribal comments’ “illogical” - Ablakwa

Deputy Education Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has described as “illogical” the reaction of former Education Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo to the tribal comments that have been attributed to him.

According to him, the explanation being given by the founding member of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) lacks logic and coherence.

The former finance minister was captured on a secret audio tape bemoaning that even though about 90 percent of Ghana’s natural resources are concentrated in mainly Akan-speaking regions of the country, it is people who come from regions without resources that are governing the country.

The tape was apparently captured at a meeting between the NPP stalwart and the Council of Elders of the party in the Eastern region.

The voice, which mostly spoke in the local Twi language, but punctuated the delivery with some English, is heard bemoaning why Akan-speaking people, whose regions are rich with natural resources, are not the ones at the helm of managing those resources.

Although Mr Osafo-Maafo has admitted speaking at the said meeting, he has denied making any ethnocentric comments in his address.

Speaking on Radio Gold’s 'Alhaji and Alhaji' Saturday, the former deputy Information Minister said the explanation being given by the astute engineer-cum-politician is shameful.

“How can you say that you are surprised that somebody recorded you, when in one breath you are saying that you didn’t make those statements?

“Then you go ahead to say that whoever recorded you did it for money and that perhaps the elder who recorded you was paid by the NDC, what kind of logic is that ?

“How can a former finance minister and a great engineer like Osafo-Maafo make such remarks, what was he teaching the children as education minister if this was his logic,” Ablakwa fumed.