'This is nonsensical!' - Henry Akoto calls for immediate sacking of minister over 24-hr economy comments

A leading member of the National Democratic Congress and a 2020 parliamentary candidate for the Oforikrom constituency, Henry Osei Akoto, has called for the immediate sacking of the Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, over his recent comments on the 24-hour economy debate.

According to him, he struggles to understand why a minister of state will make such a comment in public.

Stephen Yakubu, speaking at a public event over the weekend, dismissed the 24-hour economy policy put forward by the NDC's flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama.

The minister argued that the policy, if implemented, could jeopardise marriages in the region, as the predominantly farming male population would be occupied around the clock, leaving little time for spousal intimacy.

Speaking to GhanaWeb on the issue, Henry Akoto said that the utterances by the minister warrant an immediate dismissal.

“In fact, I just can’t understand how a minister of state can stand in front of the public and make this kind of pronouncement that we are going to lose our wives when we go on this 24-hour economy. I mean, this is nonsensical. This minister should be sacked with immediate effect.

“You don’t do this. Wherever he’s travelled around the world, he himself knows that every economy is running a 24-hour shift. Why would he come and tell us that if we go on a 24-hour economy shift, we are going to lose our wives? This is barbaric; this shouldn’t come from a minister of state. I’m very disappointed in his statement and he should be condemned for those comments,” he stated.

What the regional minister said

“The vice president is saying that he understands the region. He says that this 24-hour economy, my brothers, when we work in the farms and we are tired in the night we have to sleep with our wives.

“We have to be with our wives. In the night you want us to go and be farming and then people will come and take our wives away?” the minister questioned amidst shouts of no from his audience.

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