Midgets fight Amissah-Arthur over 'short people' comment

Some persons living with dwarfism (midgets) have demanded an unqualified apology from Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur within 10 days or face their electoral wrath in the 7 December general elections for saying that short people needed to be elevated in order for them to see President John Mahama’s achievements.

Addressing party supporters in the Eastern Region two weeks ago, Mr Amissah-Arthur, upon noticing that a not-so-tall woman within the crowd had been giraffing to scale her sight above those blocking her view, and, thus had to be carried, said it was important that such persons were carried to see President Mahama’s achievements.

Although Mr Amissah-Arthur did not make any specific reference to any politician with his comment, it has been interpreted by his political rivals as a veiled swipe at the flag bearer of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo.

The midgets, who have expressed anger at the Vice President, have threatened to pitch camp with Nana Akufo-Addo ahead of the December polls if Mr Amissah-Arthur fails to apologise to them.

A month earlier, Minister of Youth and Sports, Nii Lantery Vanderpuye, also without mentioning names, said the race to the Flagstaff House in the 2016 elections will not be determined by "how short one is" or "the kind of spectacles" any presidential aspirant wore.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Odododiodio, who was addressing a gathering at the official campaign launch of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Sunday, 14 August, in Cape Coast, the capital of the Central Region, explained that God had ordained President John Mahama to lead and develop Ghana, adding that: "Being a president is not about being tall. It is not about how short a person is. Being a president is not about the spectacles that one wears but the love for one’s country and its people and finding solutions that will benefit citizens."

Watch video below