Sack ‘undiplomatic’ Ayisi-Boateng over divisive comments - Bagbin

The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has waded into the divisive comments of Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, HE George Ayisi-Boateng.

He observes that the comments were in bad taste, undiplomatic and could draw back efforts made by various actors towards achieving national cohesion.

According to him, he least expected such comments from an experienced politician like HE Mr George Ayisi-Boateng wondering why he will throw caution to the wind and make such divisive comments without recourse to his stature in society.

The lawmaker observed that the apology rendered afterwards also appeared not to be genuine which vindicates the stance he was forced to apologise.

“I think his comments were in bad taste and the best option to maintain the reputation of the country in the interest of national cohesion is for the President to recall him as the country’s Ambassador to South Africa”, he disclosed.

Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin said there is no justification whatsoever for his comments and the best is for him to relieve him of his position to vindicate the President’s resolve that he represents all irrespective of one’s background or political affiliation.

Backing his calls for Ayisi Boateng’s sack, the longest serving lawmaker said : “That the preacher continually calls one sinner to repentance while ignoring the obviously more heinous offences of other members of his flock is no justification for the wrong-doer in question refusing to examine his conscience or considering the propriety of those of his actions for which he has been called upon to account”.

The embattled High Commissioner who was addressing NPP, Tertiary Students’ Confederacy Network (TESCON) at the Kumasi Technical University it would be recalled reinforced the point that his priority in terms of jobs will be members of the elephant family.

“Indeed I’m not boasting, but I’ve started meeting the NPP groups. Every weekend I meet some group members and I tell you if I had my way, every job opportunity that will come will go to a TESCON member before any other person. And I know my colleague appointees also have the same feeling except that because of IMF we cannot do anything now,” he said.

“A TESCON member is my priority, an NPP member is my priority. We are all Ghanaians but some are more Ghanaian than others….this government is doing its best to create job opportunities and me for instance, I told my people over there [that], it is because of NPP that I’m here, so the NPP man is my priority. I told them when NDC was in power it was Kwesi Ahwoi who was there, now we are in power, so Ayisi-Boateng is here with you. My topmost priority is the problems of an NPP person before any other Ghanaian, take it or leave it,” he said.