'Fawoto B?gye' Remark Was Embarrassing - Ablakwa

Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has expressed disappointment at women groups and advocates in the country over their loud silence regarding the derogatory statement purportedly made by the Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Kofi Jumah against women.

Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana show, Mr. Okudzeto said it is surprising that all the gender advocates who would have under normal circumstance jumped at a person’s throat, are quiet.

The NPP Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Maxwell Kofi Jumah indirectly accused former Mayor of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Madam Patricia Appiagyei, of using her “bottom” to secure that position.

In an interview with a Kumasi based Radio station, FoxFM, the outspoken NPP MP did not mince words, when he dared his main challenger, cautioning her that the battle for the Asokwa seat cannot be won by merely using ‘bottom power’, adding that the contestants would have to survive grueling rounds of elections.

But the Deputy Minister of Information said he had expected at least some comments of condemnation from women empowerment groups but has heard nothing.

"It was a very embarrassing episode; he shouldn’t have spoken like that, no wonder Prince Derrick Adjei sent me a text that he is probably on his list. I think that we must show more respect to women. I have been disappointed though that the usually loud mouth on women empowerment have been quiet, a particular one, Madam Ursula Owusu would have jumped at the person’s throat if it were someone else. The CPP women’s group, where are they?” he quizzed.

He asked if women empowerment groups only react to comments from people other than NPP members.

“When Moses Asaga said that abysmally this oil and gas jobs are dominated by men, the women groups were angry at him; they were so mad at him even though he was just speaking based on a research. They took him to the cleaners but look at such a nasty one and they are quiet. I want to ask if our women groups are for women in general or they are for NPP women and when one of your NPP women have been disgraced publicly, they are silent on it?” he asked.

The NPP Member of Parliament for Okaikoi South, Nana Akomea, who was on the same programme, also condemned the comments describing them as unfortunate.

“This is an unfortunate statement coming from Maxwell Kofi Jumah and most of us; his colleagues, have condemned him including myself. We have told him he cannot be speaking like that and he has come out to apologize and I’ve heard him on several radio stations apologizing. What he said has negative connotation for women and their ability and he has apologized so I’m hoping that it doesn’t go on,” he said.

Meanwhile, the former Mayor of Kumasi Maxwell Kofi Jumah has apologized for what he said was a slip in his remark about his successor, at the Kumasi Metropolitan assembly.